An Evening with the Legends Man and Colosseum!

COLOSSEUM: 21.00 – 22.45

After the art-rock stampede that Man, the elder statesmen of Welsh rock, staged with their cheeky blend of hard rock, psychedelia and boogie, everything was ready for the arrival of the big stars of the evening, the legendary Colosseum. They’re one of the first bands in the history of progressive rock, who rose to fame in the late 60s with their colorful blend of blues, jazz and classical music and hit their peak with the album “Valentyne Suite” (1969), one of the best and most important albums in the history of experimental rock music. After breaking up in the early 70s and the interesting jazz rock fusion experiment Colosseum II with Gary Moore on guitar, Colosseum have been reunited in their classic lineup since 1994. I haven’t followed their path and live shows since the reunion in any detail, so I had no idea what I was about to witness, though I knew full well I’d be enjoying a performance by some of the best masters of their craft, who age like fine wine.

Colosseum charged onto the stage with the energetic instrumental “Those About To Die” from their 1969 self-titled debut. All the fans instantly huddled up in front of the stage, while even the “drunkards” in the back rows sat up on their benches, because the band blew in like a gale and in no time started weaving an extraordinary atmosphere. Even a quick glance at the individual members, all in great spirits and every last one of them a legend, was proof they were about to throw an unforgettable party. The band’s founder Jon Hiseman (ex-John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers), one of the most innovative drummers in the story of rock music, managed to bring together numerous names who wrote themselves into the history of (progressive) rock in golden letters. Sitting on the bar stool in front of the keyboards was none other than the great Dave Greenslade (ex-Greenslade, solo), the only other original member besides Hiseman, who in his best days also earned plenty of comparisons to Keith Emerson. Next to him stood the blues rock-bred guitar virtuoso Clem Clempson (ex-Humble Pie (where he once replaced Peter Frampton), Strange Brew), with the look of a sly professor. With his approach, Clempson made the jaws of many people standing below the stage drop wide open at the sight of his combination of speed and subtlety. The legendary bassist Mark Clarke (ex-Uriah Heep, Tempest, Mountain) also won a lot of sympathy that night, and most of the music connoisseurs know him as the co-writer of one of the most beautiful songs in the story of rock music, “The Wizard”. On saxophone and soprano saxophone, Barbara Thompson, Hiseman’s wife, who years ago replaced the tragically deceased Dick Heckstall-Smith, whirled around wildly. After the opening instrumental bomb, Colosseum resolutely switched to “Skellington” from their first live album “Colosseum Live” (1971). With its energetic blend of blues/hard rock, “Skellington” woke up even the sleepiest heads. Then the main “face” of the evening marched onto the stage, none other than the legendary singer Chris Farlowe (ex-Thunderbirds, Atomic Rooster, solo), who, despite looking like a stuffed and well-puffed-up Donald Duck, is still surely one of the most likeable and charismatic frontmen around, no matter which lineup he performs in. Most importantly, the guy still has a powerful, passionate voice. Switching between lower and higher passages still gives him (as yet) no major trouble, and he deftly seasons it with comic yelps, mumbling, babbling and grimaces. During the instrumental sections, the legendary old-timer happily danced around and egged on the audience and the rest of the band alike (he especially liked to “tease” Clempson with his faces). They went on to tackle newer, equally blues-based material, such as “Morning Story” and the title track from their latest studio album “Tomorrow’s Blues” (2003). One of the highlights of the evening followed with “Theme From an Imaginary Western”, which Farlowe introduced in honor of the legendary Cream bassist/singer Jack Bruce. The original appears on the album “Daughter Of Time” (1970), and in a somewhat more symphonic version you can also find it on the Greenslade album “Spyglass Guest” (1973). At this point Barbara put the soprano saxophone to her lips. With their first hit “Walking in The Park” (Those About To Die, 1969), they drove the temperature of the show to boiling point. Clempson and Clarke often practically competed over who could play a given passage faster. Clarke in particular spun around the stage as if he were at least 20 years younger, locking in very successfully with the “Madam Whirligig” on sax. During “Stormy Monday” from the live album “Colosseum Live”, a visibly winded Farlowe once again confirmed, with both his vocals and his stage presence, that the old boy is still in great shape. After that he took leave of the stage for a while in the company of a bottle, because the big moment of the evening I’d been waiting for impatiently had arrived. It was time for their greatest masterpiece, “Valentyne Suite” from the album of the same name from 1969, split into four sections. This is the key moment of the night when Colosseum finally come fully alive as the real, refined jazz rock fusion/progressive rock band and push the bar blues/hard rock elements aside for a while. Maestro Greenslade made the opening move, leading us into the first section of the suite on keyboards, after which Hiseman and Clarke started dictating their jazzy visions. Clempson showed off a whole school of virtuosity at astonishing speed on guitar, often helping himself with a slide. The old rock lady Thompson meanwhile kept delighting us with her woodwind seasonings. The epic suite, which left many of us open-mouthed, was over far too soon and the legends left the stage for a short while. Really just a short while, because an express encore followed in the form of Hiseman’s drum solo, which he accompanied with a funny anecdote about his following of man’s first landing on the Moon. Jon didn’t skimp on witty remarks during the show anyway. He was especially delighted by the realization that there were quite a few more young faces than usual below the stage that night. After the monstrous solo, which just wouldn’t end, the rest of the members, Farlowe included, gradually marched back onto the stage and charged into the last number of the night, “Lost Angeles” (The Grass is Greeener), with which they left us in the best possible light and earned a long ovation from the audience. With their performance, Colosseum completely overshadowed even the tough Welsh fighters Man, whom they nevertheless honored with plenty of praise during the show.

It’s hard to believe that musicians with an average age of a little over 60 play as if they were still young guys with something to prove. It’s been a long time since I saw individual musicians who enjoyed themselves on stage with such sincerity and such extraordinary ease. With their performance, Colosseum offered living proof that years are no obstacle at all for musicians, as long as you still have youthful drive and plenty of heart. From me they earned a pure ten. I’m already looking forward to our next meeting with a good deal of impatience. The performance by both sowers of the seeds of early progressive rock passed far too quickly in the very pleasant castle atmosphere, but it will surely stay a very pleasant memory for a long time.

 

text for Colosseum: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik

photos: Aleš Podbrežnik