Tuesday 28 March 2006

Tim Smith - Liverpool Academy

tim smith

liverpool academy march 26th 2006

Cardiacs being lovable funsters, and lacking frequent live appearences, are allowing limited exposure in limited locations. Such an appearence wherever the location, is of prime interest to a pond dwelling, shark fearing fish. The location Liverpool, the incarnation for the evening is Mr Tim Smith playing a selection of Cardiacs tunes, accompanied by Mr Jon Poole (ex Cardiacs guitarist, now Wildhearts bassplayer) & Ginger (Wildhearts) and a big bass drum.

The evenings entertainment of primary concern is of a supporting kind, Ginger has collected together like minded individuals to be known as Ginger & The Sonic Circus. This will be the main act of the night, but for us fishies, it is of lesser importance. We want Tim. Cameras are primed, recorders are set to record, and time must pass before all that is about to happen.

Happily flapping about are a small school of fish, bestowed in monochromatic attire potraying appreciaton of all things Alphabetical and Business Concern. The last seconds make their long swing around the clock, time is apparent, its Timmy time.

Sitting at the front of the stage, guitar on his lap, not so big big bass drum infront of him, Tim beams at his welcoming audience. To either side of him are Jon and Ginger, unmoving, emotionless. Jon is sporting a rather sporting moustache and beard, both he and Ginger have dressed up for the evening, but still they make no sound. Regular fish in the pond greet Tim with love and admiration, vocalising such emotion, trying to elicit a response from Tim. Tim bespectacled for the evening uses his Quade-like grin, signals to his cohorts, time to begin.

Conducting all around him from behind his not so big big bass drum, his accoustic guitar manages to become more that it was built for, sequences appear from nowhere, swirl around us and dissapear as though they had never been. Punctuating at irregular intervals, the not so big big bass drum pounds out beats from under Tims flapping foot. Keeping some measure of time, not controling but guiding the processes eminating from the minds on stage, forcing fingers into fret based dancings best described as elusive.

New arrangements of familar Cardiacs tunes bemuse and amuse the welcoming crowd, newbies maintain a bemused expression, this is like nothing they have experienced before, even to the initiated, its refreshing and new. Somebody compares it to Tenacious D mixed with Fantomas, but comparisons aside all regard what they are experiencing as most enjoyable. In between peculiar renditions of 'Duck And Roger The Horse' and 'Anything I Can't Eat', Tim regales the shallow pond of eager fish with strange stories of tiny people, and often surreal oneway conversations.

During one such musical rendition, the song is paused until the fish make a selections as to who should perform a guitar solo to accompany and continue the song, Ginger is tonights chosen one, and expressing a slight flicker of emotion, plays said solo and returns to the stoic stance, both he and Jon have maintained throughout. More familiar tunes are given a fresh, yet stripped approach, ' To Go Off And Things' still has its manic stop start twitchiness about it, and 'Body's Bad' still drives its way epileptically to a final conclusion.

A final slowdown brings us to the eventual stop that had to arrive, unfortunalely there is no encore, but what we had was more than enough, its just a pity we dont get to experience this type of evenings cavalcade of musical stylings a little more often. Too much of a good thing if this sort of thing can never be bad, for it is never the same, no matter how many time to experience it. Its only spoiled by the fact that it is over, and who knows when we will see the likes of it again.

Next on the bill is 'Ginger And The Sonic Circus', so back on stage is Ginger and Jon, looking a little more relaxed than earlier. To say that this cup of tea is not my cup of tea, is more than adaquate for this musical styling, so a quick view is all that is needed, its time to go home, goodnight.