After the fun and games at Seattle’s Fenix Club the band headed to Portland, Oregon.[endtease] Following a day off, they reconvened and took the stage of the truly cavernous Crystal Ballroom. Despite problems with the sound getting lost in the vast curves and crannies of the place, the group give a good account of themselves with Pat’s barrage of electronic devices setting the pace. The first number lasting over 20 minutes is an exciting fusing of drum n’ bass aesthetics tied to the take-no-prisoners soloing which were such a distinctive feature of this outfit. Gunn’s performance in the third section (Ghost) is just flat-out phenomenal.
After the fury of the opening section they dial the mood down with a slo-mo version of the X-Chanyn-Z featuring the supple ripples of Tony’s tiny Ashbory bass guitar. Certainly this is one of the most different takes on this motif so far. This isn’t without risk however, and it’s not until the second set that they get close to the monstrous energies they were tapping into in the earlier stages of the gig.
After the Larks’ Tongues-like duetting between Tony and Trey we get the dance-style version of Seizure. The low-down groove of this track is a joy to hear especially for those folks with a sub-woofer to boost the thump-in-the-chest excitement levels to the max. Overall this may not be the most consistent of P4’s performances but the highs more than outweigh the lows, and the show marked another example of risk-taking Crimson-style. Trivia fans may want to note that this show was also the debut of the one-string Warr guitar!
After the fun and games at Seattle’s Fenix Club the band headed to Portland, Oregon.[endtease] Following a day off, they reconvened and took the stage of the truly cavernous Crystal Ballroom. Despite problems with the sound getting lost in the vast curves and crannies of the place, the group give a good account of themselves with Pat’s barrage of e...
The band was really on fire from the start this show. Too bad about the acoustics of the room but the download is warm and inviting in all the right ways. Virtuosity and inventiveness constantly bubble forth from the performance and it rages throughout. Pat is truly playing like a man possessed tonight and the rest of the band feeds off his energy.
Highlights: Too many to count
Negatives: None
Buy this download in FLAC and treat yourself! This is amazing stuff!
Written by Cameron Devlin
An energized Mastelotto, but band consistently fails to ignite. 2/5
P4's 5th performance comes right out of the gate all guns blazing but slips away from the group early and never recovers. Inappropriate use of the ConstruKction theme is, for me, a primary reason. Heavy ConstruKction gets dropped like an anvil on a promising set-up from "Drum and Bass", out of time and out of place. Ghost briefly brings the affair back into focus with a burning solo from Gunn early on and a LOT of space left at the end for Mastelotto to work in, which is welcome. Super Slow X-c...
P4's 5th performance comes right out of the gate all guns blazing but slips away from the group early and never recovers. Inappropriate use of the ConstruKction theme is, for me, a primary reason. Heavy ConstruKction gets dropped like an anvil on a promising set-up from "Drum and Bass", out of time and out of place. Ghost briefly brings the affair back into focus with a burning solo from Gunn early on and a LOT of space left at the end for Mastelotto to work in, which is welcome. Super Slow X-chayn-jiZ opens with a Levin riff he first drops into Deception Of The Thrush from the 3rd night, but it doesn't seem to inspire the other players. It's only in the final 2 minutes or so that something new starts being said, and then it's over. Light ConstruKction opens with Mastelotto kicking off some interesting loops but, like Heavy before it, the theme drops in with complete disregard for the tempo Mastelotto has set up and seems to end possibilities rather than encourage them. Seizure is a highlight; now more of a replicable piece than a vehicle for improv it provides some much needed focus and, combined with the similiarly mapped-out Deception of the Thrush, seems to steer ProjeKction to greater heights than the first set and it's only this that saves this show. Mastelotto finds the beat for Into The Frying Pan here, curious to see if this is now replicated for future versions or not. For completists only.
Written by Ross Smith
One-string Warr Gtr?
Could somebody please give some (detailed) info on the ’debut of the one-string Warr guitar’ at this show...?!? Thanks,Ross SmithNashville, TN.
Written by Michael Heilbronner
I attended this one too
Memory suggests this was a great show from the vantage of the lip of the stage. Problem was (as Syd suggests) the sound at the Crystal Ballroom is abysmal for any band that has a bass player or any low end. But the download is another matter.
