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VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR
Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton 10 April 2007

I have been a Van der Graaf fan for many years, but have never seen them live. Having found out that David Jackson had left the band and not been replaced I was a little apprehensive about just how good the band would be.

However once they started into Childlike Faith In Childhoods End, I was impressed by this new incarnation of a classic band.

The sound was excellent and the band were very tight. (In The) Black Room and Every Bloody Emperor were up next and the band were on a roll, with Hammill taking up most of Jackson's parts on either guitar or keys.

Next up was a new number, All That Before (Specs), which for me was the weakest track in the set. Then Gog and Meurgleys III, they tore into it and produced a sound best described as ferocious. How Banton can produce so many complex sounds and rhythms in a live setting is beyond me, and Guy Evans has got to be one of the best drummers in the business.

The timeless Man-Erg finished the set to rapturous applause, then they were back with Lemmings and that was it.

I can honestly say that after that cautious start, it was one of the very best shows I've had the pleasure to attend. Along with the faithful I just hope that this new phase of the band continues onward and upward

Review and photos by Lee Millward

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