01 April 2010 (gig)
04 April 2010
In April 1975, groundbreaking German electronic band Tangerine Dream played a legendary concert at the Royal Albert Hall. April 1st 2010 saw the 35th anniversary of that historic night, when the Tangerines treated fans old and new to a whopping three-hour set titled 'The Zeitgeist Concert’. The event also marked the 40th anniversary of the group's first album 'Electronic Meditation'.
Originally founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese (after supporting Jimi Hendrix), their pioneering synthesizer sound is perhaps best described as a mixture of ambient, futuristic and of course, psychedelic 'Krautrock’. Although some devotees simply call it New Age music, the band never saw themselves as inventors of that genre. Tangerine Dream can be credited with having influenced many other musicians past and present, with current bands like Kasabian or Rammstein quoting the group as an inspiration.
Having released an impressive amount of live, studio as well as compilation albums, in the 1980s the band was equally in demand to compose scores for a significant number of Hollywood movies, most notably Ridley Scott’s fantasy 'Legend’ and Kathryn Bigelow’s vampire-western 'Near Dark’.
Thursday’s concert was proof that some forty years later, Tangerine Dream hasn’t lost their popularity. Naturally, the band has undergone quite a few line-up changes over the decades; however, original founding member Froese still is the spine of the band. The current line-up also includes Froese’s son Jerome.
The evening began with four masked cello players seated next to each other, while the classically trained Viennese piano player Linda Spa not only delighted the audience acoustically but visually, too. She wore a white ball gown that had countless miniature light bulbs attached to it. Things turned more eccentric still, namely when one of the players started to whip the piano with a cat-o-nine tail (after Linda had made her exit). Next, the spotlight was on Edgar Froese, with the band continuing with some of their best-known compositions like 'No Man’s Land’, 'Leviathan’ and 'Serpent Magique’. The sound was accompanied by a special effects light show (illuminated drum sticks, glowing light tubes behind the band etc.), while a gigantic screen displayed an endless array of surreal and trippy images, such as seagulls flying over deserts and pyramids, or enlarged kaleidoscopic patterns creating sub-patterns. At times, the musicians were almost completely hidden in the dark, while the focus seemed pointed toward the moving screen images. Quite why remains a mystery, for the music and illuminated instruments (not to mention the actual event) would have made impact enough.
After a brief interval, which barely left time for a drink at the bar, the second part of the show begun. This time, the music turned edgier and harder, but with several tracks less well known. In contrast, the stage was lit brighter and the individual band members were more visible, especially female singer and percussionist Iris Camaa, who supports Tangerine Dream on their current tour. With her wild peroxide-blond mane and seemingly endless energy, she added the right level of stage dynamic to the show. Other numbers included 'Boat To China’ and 'Cinnamon Road’. There was no encore, but that would have been too much to ask for, given the fact that this must have been one of the longest sets ever played by a single group! After a final bow from band to audience – and rapturous applause – one of the most remarkable concerts had come to an end. Whether Tangerine Dream will continue their musical space odyssey for the next few decades (in ever-changing incarnations) remains to be seen, but one thing for certain: Thursday’s concert will no doubt be remembered as another significant musical event.
