Entertainment For Lively Minds
The Musical Box
My old man is a big Genesis fan. He came to them when Collins had taken over lead vocals but he's enjoyed a lot of the live stuff that has come out in various formats in recent years from the Gabriel era.
I see that tribute band The Musical Box (who are effectively acknowledged by Genesis and Gabriel as the "official" curators of the live Genesis sound) are touring the UK in March and will be performing The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway in its entirety and will be using film and props from the original Genesis tour.
I'm thinking about getting tickets for my dad for the Manchester Apollo gig on 15th March and wondered if any of the Massive had ever seen them live. He'll want me to go with him but that's OK 'cos I like this album and I'm intrigued at how the band will set about recreating the 'old' sounds from a record made over 38 years ago.
So, are The Musical Box any good?
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Not from personal experience, but…
I haven't seen them myself but I've talked to a couple of people who know their Genesis stuff very well, and they said that it was as close as you can get to seeing that album live. If anything they can actually get closer to the album sounds now than Genesis could back in the day.
I think
Gabriel or Collins has said words to that effect as well!
Ah, TLLDOB
Now there was a properly rockular opus. Makes "Tommy" sound like "Humpty Dumpty".
They're incredible
As perfect a facsimile of Gabriel-era Genesis as you could wish for. They even get the stage banter and stories word perfect. When I've seen them, they've only used 'authentic' instruments as well - no samplers or clever technology that wasn't available back in the day.
Ah, that's useful info
One of the things my dad loves about Genesis is the musicianship - e.g. he probably plays their live albums more than the studio albums - so if they're doing it 'authentically' then that will please him greatly.
OK, I think I'll take a punt.
I'm hoping to keep it a secret and surprise him on the day.
Yes
They're the pick of the crop. I've seen two versions of The Lamb and theirs was the better by a country mile. The distinction is that they go the extra mile with the theatrics. I mean, you wouldn't want just any old slipperman, would you?
You'll both have a great night out.
Tickets
duly purchased. Thanks for providing the tipping point!
Yes
I saw them do The Lamb - he'll have the night of his life.
You may enjoy it too.
I've seen em
Bunch of arse.
.
.
.
.
(Not really - I've seen the Lamb show & it was superb. Have a good un!)
Prog Heaven
Looks pretty damn convincing:
Wish they were playing more locally.
Very much my feeling
I'd normally be appalled at the very idea of seeing a tribute act but I'd absolutely love to see them. A real shame they're not coming anywhere near the North East.
Blimey
They are good.
Just to add my voice
to the chorus of approval. I hate "tribute" acts as a general rule of thumb, but this lot were fantastic.
I'd never heard them before tonight...
and as a rule don't like tribute acts, but on this evidence I'd say that they're bloody superb.
You WILL go to the gig with your dad
and you are certain to have a good time. Ask me about seeing Genesis doing Lamb in Liverpool when we meet later this month in, er, Liverpool. When you are seated in the Apollo, waiting for the lights to go down, tell your old man that you know someone who saw the show at the Free Trade Hall that was recorded for the Genesis Live LP. 8-]
A pedant writes...
Strictly speaking, most of Genesis Live was recorded at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester. Only 'The Return Of The Giant Hogweed' was recorded at Manchester :-)
I think...
I meringue
It may be they only released TROTGH from the Manchester show but I'm sure they recorded all of it to pick out the best bits. I could check but I would never be able to find my crusty old cassette tape after all these years. Having said that I gave my cassette recording of The Lamb show to someone who knows someone good at twiddling knobs and it could *possibly* be the same one I downloaded off t'interweb recently. My memory is, er, failing.
Oh yes, I was definitely referring to the album as released
All Of It
I've got a recording of the entire concert including Suppers ready IIRC and in between song ramblings should you wish to hear it... let me know.
Saw them do Selling England....
at the Albert Hall. It was fantastic, entirely believable as a visual spectacle and musically 100% accurate. Steve Hackett came on for the encore. No better endorsement than that.
Saw them play The Lamb a few years back
It was mesmerising - more like a play than an ordinary gig. I can't say it felt exactly like going back in time - I was three when Genesis did those shows so not much of a gig goer - but you do get a feeling of what it would have been like, especially when they bring out a pair of lights for The Waiting Room that must surely contravene several modern health and safety rules.
The most telling bit was just as the band kicked into The Broadway Melody of 74, the singer ran back on stage only to dramatically slip over and fall on his arse. Yep, I thought, I can imagine Gabriel doing exactly the same thing
Even when they were at their peak,
Gabriel-era Genesis always had an endearing vibe of slight amatueurishness about them? Early 70s Floyd were the same.
Thanks
Just a quick thanks to all of you who recommended I take my dad along to see The Musical Box last night. He thoroughly enjoyed himself as did I. We even had our own "Rock n Roll Creation" moment when the lead singer got slightly tangled up in his Slipperman tubes.
Carpet Crawlers is one of his favourites and they performed that track near pefectly.
Performances of The Musical Box and Watcher of the Skies were a nice Brucie Bonus.
My overriding impressions from the concert were that Gabriel had a filthy mind I never truly appreciated, that the version of Genesis from that era was really quite edgy and heavy and that Collins was an incredibly musical drummer.
It was also interesting watching the band disperse at the start of Riding The Scree: first Gabriel exits stage left then Hackett stage right to leave Rutherford, Collins and Banks alone on stage: and then there were three....
Spooky
I was only thinking of you last night. I knew this gig was coming up soon. I was driving over to Liverpool, listening to the free CD that came with the latest edition of PROG magazine. The first track features Citizen Cain, described by the mag as "Gabriel era Genesis, Marillion, Camel & Jethro Tull". It is rather good. I will definitely be searching out more of their music. Here is another track by them on that there EweChewed