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The Books live
 

offline fleetmouse from Horny for Truth on 2005-05-05 08:11 [#01587630]
Points: 18042 Status: Lurker



I saw the show last night here in Montreal. Me and the
sweetie got there when the doors opened and there was
absolutely no one there hardly. Nick and Paul and Ann and
Mike (Zammuto) were walking around talking to the sound guy
and such. I could have gone up and talked to them but it was
such an uncomfortable vibe, like a highschool play that
wasn't turning out well and no one was coming. Made me feel
all shy and jumpy.

Eventually the place filled up, though it was relatively
tiny and filled up couldn't have been more than 200,
probably more like 150. Mantler from Tomlab played - he does
70s style easy listening electric piano and vocals. Then
local boys Cian Ethrie who are 2 guitars and a stand up bass
doing I guess ambient improv with whistling and throwing
sunflower seeds at a banjo.

The Books came on with a sampler and a DVD player and the 4
of them and lots of instrument switching around. Ann had
some sort of clav and violin and wooden banjo and guitar.
Nick of course plays guitar and Eddie Van Halen style
electric bass - there's a lot of that on the new record in
places. Paul played cello with the kind of humorous dramatic
flair you'd expect, and Nick's brother Mikey played bass,
including a song he'd written called The Classy Penguin - it
was kind of a stylized country-folk cartoon music song and
they all rocked out while the DVD played home movies and
such.


 

offline fleetmouse from Horny for Truth on 2005-05-05 08:12 [#01587633]
Points: 18042 Status: Lurker



They had video accompaniment for about 3/4 of the songs,
home movies of them as kids, found footage of biblethumpers
making a radio play, a monk falling on his ass, and for the
new album the lyrics zapping past one syllable at a time
with silly puns. Everything was perfectly synchronized and
rhythmic. When they really got going it was a huge ocean of
clanking rattling banging sound hammering the images into my
brain. I will always remember the kaleidoscope-legs.

They have some sort of sampler with triggers and it was
interesting to see how they trigger bits to bring the songs
to life. They'll play for a while then trigger the next
impossible-to-play-live segment then some vocal samples, so
they can extend the live parts and play around instead of
having the entire song absolutely sequenced. I think they
have every vocal sample they've ever used on there - at one
point Paul was popping up a bunch of older ones from the
first album.

Lots of the songs were extended and altered versions with
different samples. I would love a live album or a video of a
performance.

The audience loved it, it was a great feeling in that place.
It was one of the best shows I've ever been to and it made
me a permanently happier person.


 

offline elusive from detroit (United States) on 2005-05-05 08:13 [#01587637]
Points: 18368 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



Are the books the group who did the collab on the new
prefuse73 (track 7, pagina or something is the title)
it's one of my fav tracks ! what do you recommend by them


 

offline fleetmouse from Horny for Truth on 2005-05-05 08:15 [#01587643]
Points: 18042 Status: Lurker | Followup to elusive: #01587637



Yes that's them, I recommend their 2nd album The Lemon of
Pink.


 

offline elusive from detroit (United States) on 2005-05-05 08:15 [#01587644]
Points: 18368 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



thx ill check it

sounds like a hell of an evening


 

offline qrter from the future, and it works (Netherlands, The) on 2005-05-05 08:18 [#01587654]
Points: 47414 Status: Moderator



sounds great, fleetm.!

I do hope they come overhere too.

I would like to see a live cd too - maybe someone bootlegged
it? probably not, the books fans are too bookish for that.


 

offline jebrinklog from Xedo X on 2005-05-05 08:20 [#01587657]
Points: 102 Status: Lurker



yes, it was an all around brilliant performance. i wish i
could see it every day. did Ann tell her mayonnaise jar
story? i'd say their first album, Thought For Food, is their
best.


 

offline fleetmouse from Horny for Truth on 2005-05-05 08:28 [#01587680]
Points: 18042 Status: Lurker | Followup to qrter: #01587654



Yes, very bookish. One guy sitting at a table near us was
reading a book (looked like one of those smart people
books). He had also brought a supply of pistachios and
drinks that he snuck out sneakily. I wondered if maybe he
had a blanket and a teddy in case the show ran late.

My wife said "why are all the men so small?" Most of the men
at the show were small and sensitive looking. There weren't
many seats so down in front most people sat on the floor
like it was storytime in kindergarten.

These sweet creatures would never dream of bootlegging a
show.

Jeb - yes, the mayonnaise jar made an appearance. I loved
Ann's french song. A snippet of it is on one of their
albums, I forget what song, something on Lemon?


 

offline qrter from the future, and it works (Netherlands, The) on 2005-05-05 08:30 [#01587686]
Points: 47414 Status: Moderator | Followup to jebrinklog: #01587657



"the lemon of pink" works best as a whole, as an album.

"thought for food" is them experimenting, trying to find
their style.

I haven't got any glib assessments like that about "lost and
safe" yet.


 

offline qrter from the future, and it works (Netherlands, The) on 2005-05-05 08:30 [#01587688]
Points: 47414 Status: Moderator | Followup to fleetmouse: #01587680



My wife said "why are all the men so small?"

that made me laugh really loudly!


 

offline fleetmouse from Horny for Truth on 2005-05-05 08:36 [#01587699]
Points: 18042 Status: Lurker | Followup to qrter: #01587688



Haha, me too. :D

Nick is also small and sensitive looking. He was wearing a
bulky sweater and looked like that photo of Ceri on a
motorcycle. (the unaltered one)

I wish you'd been there no matter what size you are.

The new album is a grower. I like it a lot now. I was
worried I wouldn't like it so much at first so that's a
relief.


 


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