Two brief clips I got -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXrRhrN4 ... aTm_qEdxdA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eWodxG3 ... aTm_qEdxdA
Walking around Tubingen yesterday with Sulky I was sure we would eventually bump into Steve and Muriel his partner. Every now and then a Facebook update on my 'phone would tell me Muriel had just posted a photo of a building that we seemed to have just gone by. It wasn't to be as we rambled the picturesque town (including a jolly jape where we went into a bookshop and were asked to leave because only women were allowed) , eventually heading back to the hotel for a rest in the late afternoon before the show.
Just before heading down to the foyer to meetup at six , I saw another f/book update , this time Steve posting a photo of a article in a local 'paper about the show. The hotel had local 'papers on a table across from the reception desk. We picked them up to have a look through them and see if we could see the article. As we looked we were aware that people were talking at the desk. They moved from it, going towards the exit , near the table we were at.
It was Steve & Muriel, along with a couple who we would meet later. Muriel spotted me ( I've never met her but we've had exchanges online and she had seen me on f/book etc.) and there ensued a round of handshaking and greetings and the like. Muriel said she had put our names on tags on front row seats. Steve said they had to dash because he had to get batteries for his recorder. And of they went. We did too, intending to have a quick drink or snack before the show at the nearby venue , only minutes away.
We met up with Pete and Simon from London in a bar by the bridge. After a drink we headed to the venue, Pete saying he had been told to be there for 6.45 to get tickets and so on. Getting there we saw the first signage about the show that we had seen all day. Opening the door we went up steps and through a reception area , a table with wine and glasses and plates of biscuits to the left and one on the left with bundles of Steve's cds and a man found us on a list and issued us with tickets. We then went on into the performance area , down steps as we looked across at the Tall Piano.
There was also a small piano, later called a , I think, Unicorder. We were seated in the front row, with our names written on pieces of paper on the red cushions ( well, cushions of sort - some of our party later said they would have preferred if they were more padded etc.- softies!). We took our seats and chatted as people arrived. All ages were present , about 80 in total, right down to what looked like blond haired, twin infant boys playing with lit up sabre like toys. Steve and Muriel arrived in with the couple and took the seats that made up the the other end of our row. The couple were Alain and Michèle Blondel, Paris based art dealers. Steve was up and down a bit , setting up his micro recorder ( 'got them !' he smiled over at us , holding up some AA batteries ) and fiddling with a sheets of paper and the like , maybe a bit of pre-show nerves. Steve then went through a door to the left of the steps up to the Tall Piano. Muriel started helping someone light rows of night lights near the pianos as the show started.
First up was the premises owner
David Klavins (b. 1954) , standing up by the elevated keyboard, speaking in German about ( as a subsequent precis in English told us) about the keyboards. The lights went down and Steve appeared out to applause. After a brief greeting and a apology for not being able to speak German he started playing the small piano. After one of his own compositions ( if he identified it I missed hearing) he did
Unwanted Number , really bringing out the beauty of the tune. He then ran up the stairs ( later joking about the much needed exercise the evening was involving) and deconstructed and reassembled
'Chelsea and
Almost Blue and
The Birds Will Still be Singing ( the light sabre kids left with a woman during this) , really letting us know the power and range of the unique keyboard.
Descending one again , he told us the story of
his audition for the Attractions , varying slightly from other accounts but still very amusing. He then did
The Long Honeymoon ( including a brief quote from Unwanted Number). Back up to the Tall Piano then for a new piece he's written for a ballet ( called something like , I think,
Separate) and
God Give Me Strength , worked up like the earlier rearrangements. Back down for an amusing and poignant story about selecting the piano for the
North recording session in 2003. Another untitled piece followed, played into
Shot With His Own Gun. He then made a comment about a lot of his friends having twin children recently, which has inspired him to compose some tunes. He did two , appropriately contrapuntal etc.
Back up to the Tall Piano after he asked for a suggestion of a Costello tune and he went with
'Detectives , which he said he hadn't done like that before. He explored that tune to some extent but segued into
Muriel On The Beach from his
Lazy Point album, as powerful as ever, a real highlight of that release.
More tunes were done but I was so wrapped up in the music that I stopped making notes. Sulky's recording will , eventually, tell us. The show wrapped up, Steve was given a bunch of flowers and applause etc.
After much milling about and chat we went up the steps to the reception area and were given glasses of wine and so on. David Klavins, Muriel , the Blondels mingled and we all chatted. Steve joined us , signed tickets and generally seemed relieved that it had all gone so well. He borrowed a coin from me so that he could unscrew the back of his recorder. Sulky produced his recorder and Steve said he'd love to hear his take . At one stage I asked Steve about his next work and got politely vague answers. The book he mentioned in a interview and the ballet he mentioned are in a 'continual process' stage. I asked about Elvis's book and Steve realised that he ' really had to go' and get some of the quickly vanishing biscuits from the table... I told David Klavins how much I like
Lubomyr Melnyk &
Nils Frahm and he talked about his work with them. Michèle Blonde let me gabble on about I know not what and seemed most amused. And then it was all 'goodbyes' and handshakes and we were out of there. Sophisticates that we are we went for a kebab and then the more lightweight of us ( me, of course!) declined that suggestion of 'just the one drink' and it was back to the hotel, tired but happy.
I'm sure I've forgotten lots and will endeavor to add more when it comes to mind.
