Posted on the What’s Rattlin’ newsgroup, May 2008
Just got back from Knockengorroch Festival, which was absolutely fabulous – 3 days in a Scottish wilderness, 3000 or so people camped up in a beautiful valley, constant sunshine, dips in the river, good music – bliss!
Quite out of character with the rest of the festival (mainly Celtic jiggery of various descriptions, plus a bit of reggae) was the University of Errors, playing next to the top on the final night. Total knockout stuff – this is such a fine band: apart from Gong themselves this is probably Daevid with his best ever backing.
Set list was mainly material off Jet Propelled Photographs, a smattering of songs from other Errors albums, plus a couple of other oldies: a slowed down, extended version of the coda from Fohat Digs Holes; plus Pot Head Pixies from Flying Teapot. Daevid resisted calls for Opium for the People (good for him), but did allow a saxophonist up for a quite extraordinary finale of Clarence in Wonderland – the saxophonist was quite stunning too – who was he, I wonder?
The reworking of Jet Propelled Photographs on CD was remarkable enough, and re-awakened my interest in some of the early Softs songs I’d probably rather dismissed, but the music gains something extra again live. Josh Pollock is quite a stage presence; Daevid looked pretty relaxed, the rhythm section tight – just superb. Can’t remember how far into the tour we are, but if there’s dates still left, miss them at your peril!
And see you all at Gong at Meltdown!
The Canterbury scene(zine) continued.... 