Date:    Thu, 3 Sep 1998 04:21:52 GMT
From:    PZerbo 
Subject: (Very, Very Late) 6.16.97 Royal Albert Hall PZ Review

Very nice, surprise dinner tonight, feeling good, and figured I'd write a bit.

Phish, The Royal Albert Hall, London, England, 6.16.97

Wow, is this review ever late :-). I was just spinning a copy of this show, and
noted that I had never reviewed it, a point of extreme negligence that I will
rectify now. Standard review disclaimers apply, dejanews other reviews of mine
if you really care. My reviews are typically very long, and narrative of the
whole experience; I do not own a stopwatch, much less use one in conjunction
with Phish music. I think putting a number on a Phish show is like trying to
pick the appropriate sandwich for a poet after a dramatic reading, or declaring
a "7.4" after viewing a painting. No offense to those who do, but 'nuf said.

You know it could shape up as a long show day when you wake up in another
country. Even after a day of R&R on a totally chill Irish beach town named
Bray, I was still in serious recovery mode from Hurricane Phish which blew
through Dublin on Friday and Saturday, so my morning started slow. Full English
breakfast, check-out of the hotel, cab it to the Dublin airport. There were two
bombings in Northern Ireland on Sunday, reflected in the -intense- security
checks Monday at the airport. At the gate I was instructed that I had been
randomly chosen for a "full security inspection", the first time in my life I
actually believed them. No biggie, I'm squeaky clean.

Gatwick is a really nice alternative to Heathrow, I recommend it highly, very
mellow and convinient. Train into Victoria Station, found a respectable B&B,
and started out on my only non-show objective of the day which was to find
reasonably cheap transpo to Amsterdam the next morning. There were two days off
after London before the Vienna show (which I blew off in favor of Amsterdam),
and if there was a person on tour who -didn't- go to Amsterdam after London, I
did not meet them :-). Pain-in-the-ass! It took about 4 hours, but I pulled off
a nice score, round-trip, as I was flying home from London the following week,
for 80 pounds. In retrospect I would have rather forked over additional cash in
order to have had the afternoon back, but such is life, plus there were some
serious t-storms about, so it was just as well I guess. Did one of those
double-decker tourista bus thingies for an hour, grabbed some overpriced food,
knocked down a couple of -excellent- glasses of Scotch, and made tracks to the
venue via the Tube.

The Royal Albert Hall is just a magnificent venue, inside and out; I vaguely
recall there being pictures at thier web site, check it out.  Obligatory Mike
sighting: right in front of the venue on the Hyde Park/Kensington Garden side I
ran into two tapers I met in Dublin, Pat C. and Bill(?). They had been witness
to me in outer-space at the Saturday Dublin show, so I'm chatting with them,
and after a minute or so Pat motions behind me, "Hey Mike!", who was standing
two feet away. Chill as always, about 10 of us chatted with him for 15 or so
minutes about the Dublin shows, the new tunes, the supposed retired tunes
"well, I don't know about any of that...", the rest of the stops on Europe and
US tour (he was especially psyched for their first Gorge appearance), he posed
with people for pictures and such, then he bolted off. A fantastically
satisfying sight were the numerous scalpers eating large wads of tickets, and
unloading the few they could for well below cost. Just desserts.

Inside. Wow. What a treat! I've seen Phish in smaller US theaters and Europe
clubs, but man, this was da bomb. The literal Red Carpet treatment everywhere,
huge chandaliers, red-coated, white-gloved, traditionally English-mannered
ushers, two layers of sweet beyond belief "Royal Boxes" before the balcony
overhead, well-stocked if overpriced bars (nothing like settling into your seat
with a 16-year-old scotch and a freshly poured Boddinton's), the works. Perhaps
5,000ish capacity, maybe half that many in attendance.  Small by US standards,
but quadruple the size of the Dublin gigs. One thing that stands out is that
the outside hallway ring was lined with pictures of various folks to perform
there; my favorite picture was of Spinal Tap, it was just such a bizarre
contrast to the venue (pictures are somewhere around the house). I had a
balcony seat, but suffice it to say the ushers had no chance against a person
with 15+ years of perfecting the art of Concert Stealth. I strolled down,
visited with the maybe 6 or 8 tapers in attendance, and then to an unoccupied
group of seats about 10th row center, settled in, enjoyed my scotch, and off we
go.

6.16.97 I: Squirming Coil -> Dog Stole Things, Taste, Water in the Sky, Beauty
of My Dreams, Theme, Chalkdust, Wolfman's Brother, Oblivious Fool.

After Dublin, about which my thoughts have been made perfctly clear in this
forum, everything was wide-open.  After Dublin, this set dissapoints. I was
luke-warm to this set as it happened, and I only listen to it for the
occassional dub, as it just does not rock my boat.

Squirming Coil: A mild surprise, I was definately thinking "new tune". Despite
the "large" :-) crowd, it was immediately clear the assembled near-stage crowd
were to be on their best behavior, fitting for the venue, very quiet and chill.
Incredibly crisp sound down front, I was mildly concerned about the smaller
Europe sound rig being able to handle this "bigger" room. Nothing special about
this version, though it was a treat during the quiet segments to have things,
well, you know, quiet. Page solo was > a minute, and a swift segue into Dog
Stole Things. Interchangable with the Dublin debut, I guess all the versions
I've heard are interchangable. Not that there was any musical similarity, but
for those deadheads among you, I had "Little Red Rooster" feelings. Cool
lyrics, but essentially a throwaway, at least it was/is short.

Not a segue per se, but immediately into Taste, an almost every-show staple of
this tour. Page solo was pretty spunky, but the Trey-led jam segments were
uninspired at best. Just kind of sits there, the guys seemed happy, mellow, and
relaxed, but almost too much so. It isn't as if the version is botched, it
holds it's own, but nothing approaching serious jam potential.

After Taste, a very brief word from Trey, gesturing to the opulent
surroundings: "Thank you, it's just great, just incredibly great to be playing
here", the only non-song words we would hear from the band this night. Water in
the Sky. I guess listening to this tape is the first time I've heard it since
hearing live the recent more melodic, groovy, re-working of the tune.
Definately, go for the new! Much more, ahem, trippy now. Very, very short
discardable version, and quickly into Sample. Sorry kids, wish there was more
to say about this; heck, there are 7 songs in the first 40 minutes before the
flip, how much can you say? Standard. Beauty of my Dreams. Having been familiar
with the original, and recalling the Dublin version, I just soaked up the
surroundings and wasn't paying especially close attention, and the tapes reveal
I was not missing much.

Theme. I really enjoyed the tour-opening Theme the previous Friday, and this
one was fine. Fine, but mild dissapointment was slipping in. I probably have
many more bad days at work then these guys do, and fear not, I was loving life
at the time, but there is nothing especially kind to say about this version.
Trey also seemed a little out of tune, as well as just plain missing on several
runs. Let's just say that if I ever see this on any "Top 10 Theme" lists, I'm
going to beat up your mama! :-). Chalk Dust Torture was dissapointing, at best.
First, given the venue and the crowd, and the mood the band had established, it
just wasn't the appropriate time to give a half-assed attempt at an "arena
rocker". Competent, and I would not have wanted to be anywhere in the world
more than where I was, but if you can find anything even remotely interesting
about it, I'm all ears. Chris did have some nice moments though, that dude did
a lot with much less to work with with the smaller light rig, subtle but classy
and textured, as one comes to expect.

Wolfman's Brother reached a new level in Dublin, I still have not heard a
better version than 6.13.97, and on the heels of that version I was pretty
psyched. No go. Dublin was funkafied to high degree, FUNK ME, but this does
virtually nothing. It has hints of what we now know and love as the funky
groove, takes a sloooow detour, and then just peters out. Our four friends are,
to these eyes at least, clearly tired. Upon further review, this may possibly
be some of the worst Phish music I have ever heard, I mean, can one of you fine
ushers point me to a bathroom? Sorry kids, I call 'em like I hear 'em. A game
effort is made towards the end, but this is frankly a train-wreck in progress.
If you have doubts as to my general feelings towards this tune, check my Dublin
review, but at this point I'm itching for the ending chord. Oblivious Fool. OK,
I give: I like "new" Oblivious Fool/Shafty much more. The tune has progressed a
ton since this version, lets just leave it at that.

Sensing end-of-set, I bailed to the can. OK, OK, so the set times were
explicitly and precisely on flyers all over the venue, and I checked someone's
watch; so sue me :-). Walking toward the back of the venue, I immediately
noticed the sound took a downward turn. It is reflected in even the best tapes,
the sound varied greatly in the venue. Them the breaks.

OK, so this may not carry as much weight after my exceedingly high marks ("1"
and "1a" in my life of -many- setbreaks, if I recall) of the 8.16.98 set II and
III breaks, respectively, but hear me out. This break is of a different nature
entirely. First, I encounter my Dublin pub-crawl partners, Wade and "Wellfleet
Kevin" at, of all places, Da Bar. Grab a drink, shoot the shit, yada yada. I
wanted a good spot, so I make my way toward the front again. This time, about
the 4th row, and I began chatting with random folk. Two of whom turn out to be
Ken and Ann. Yah, those who know me, or us, betcha thought we were lifelong
friends, didn't'ya. Well, no, actually not, it just seems that way. We just
found each other, hooked up via a business card shortly after we got back to
the states. 18 shows together in the last 17 months and many, many more cool
times in between, and I am blessed (for lack of a better word) with some of the
best friends I have ever known. Good thing for those inquisitive British kids,
lest my life be quite different now. I love you both more than you know, but I
will restrain in this public forum. You know what's what.

6.16.97 II: Limb by Limb, Ghost > I Don't Care > Reba, Wading in the Velvet
Sea, Dirt, Harry. E: Cities, Poor Heart.

Band comes on, and as I had only recently discovered (like within the previous
5 minutes) "that 'limbo, limbo' Dubiln tune" was called "Limb by Limb". I
missed it even when Trey introduced it as such 20 feet from my face a few days
earlier. Hey, that is what mushrooms will do to a fella. So, I'm not much one
to yell for songs (maybe my first and only time), but it was so damn quiet,
Trey and Mike are chatting, and I say in a voice that I guess can attract some
attention from about 15 feet away: "Limb by Limb!". I swear, the both of them
look right at me with this "hey, WTF? We just wrote that song!" kinda glance.
Projection for sure, I wonder whether they would remember, I have to
mental-note to ask next time I get the chance. ANYways...

Who knew at the time that Limb by Limb would reach the epic heights it did two
months later at Limestone? On the first "And I am taken far away" if Mike
wasn't looking direct at me, I'll eat socks. Well, maybe it was all the
attractive young ladies in my vicinity, or even more simply I was just in his
direct line of sight, but that was my take :-). In retrospect, nothing
incredibly special, but this tune does gel early, it is clearly well-rehearsed,
they know where they want to take it. For the first time in the evening I'm
feeling IT, and shaking loose any remnants of the less-than-stellar first set.
Very nice jam segment, minor hints of what is to come. I haven't heard enough
of the slightly re-worked version to make any definitive judgement as to the
"new/old" debate. This is stretched though, to notable but just not spectacular
degree.

Winds down to a complete stop, then Ghost. It's funny saying this after only 14
months, but I like "old" Ghost. Unlike the smooth transition of Dublin, this is
the first "from a dead stop" Ghost. More heavily funkified, Mike-heavy (gee, I
wonder if anyone notices that I like "Mike-heavy" slow funk? :-). I'm down with
this! We are back with the funk. At least the "proto-funk". I mean, who knew?
Funky & exploratory. Get the tapes, check it out. Not so different from the
bazillion versions that followed over the course of the summer, but any serious
Ghost fan must hear this, if anything for the historical value, as it takes
more twists and turns than does the Dublin public debut.

How the brilliant tansition of the Ghost jam to I Don't Care doesn't warrant a
transitional ">" notation in either the HPB or Almanac reflects a lack of
listening on both parties (self-reminder: send a note to the HPB mainainers, it
is exactly this type of seamless transition that could virtually define the ">"
notation). I've mentioned this previously in the rmp forum: why doesn't anyone
care about "I Don't Care"?!? Dark, heavy-metalish jam, which was established in
the latter stages of the Ghost jam, very appropriate and in the same style as
later Summer and Fall heavy metal-ish jams (I'm thinking especially of the
11.30.97 Sanity, just not as dark, stark). Played again in Prague four nights
later, then shelved. Any of you guys listening? This had potential, give it
another go-round in front of a US audience, see what's up!. Enough bitching,
the Reba that quickly follows is quite nice. Wait, I Don't Care -> Reba gets a
transitional notation, but not Ghost -> I Don't Care? A listen to the tapes
will shed much light! :-)

I have honestly not heard a Reba I did not like at least a little, but this one
only more than a little dissapoints, but a nice breather after the opeining
segue. Wading in the Velvet Sea. I -love- this tune, but this version does not
warrant any special attention, it will not change your mind one way or another,
the tune is pretty much what it is. Dirt. "Never speak your name again, Never
hear your voice again..." Wow am I ever down with this tune, but check out
7.1.97 for the definitive version, as that run was firmly entrenched in the
worms, so to speak. I'll remain down with this version, if only for sentimental
reasons.

The Harry is fine, if restrained. Damn I wish they would bring back the more
climactic ending. I will recall this version for a personal moment though,
which may only be remembered by me (I'll find out in the morning): during the
opening notes, the first "knowing, gleeful" smile shared with someone who I now
know pretty well. You catch that, Kmo? BTW, no glow-sticks in the RAH, my last
"pre-glowstick" Harry. Cities was pretty interesting and spunky. I as most of
us was awaiting the all-too-predictable ADITL, but alas, no. I thought -this-
Cities was slow, damn, wait until Limestone two months later! Think of
London....small city, dark, dark in the daytime! Poor Heart another throwaway,
whatever.

After show was odd, I was psyched for Amsterdam and wanted to blow town the
second after the show, and then discovered after a bizarre ride on the
tube/underground that London, once Capital of the Planet, closes at 11. Hey, I
thought people slept in the -daytime-, what's up with that? Bummer. After the
realization set in that there were no pubs on my horizon, I went to the hotel,
slept, and was off to Amsterdam first thing in the morning...

...the morning which began my 12-day stay in that quaint village. Yep, blew off
Vienna, Prague (despite offers to go from the global stony capital to Praha by
a) car, b) plane, and c) train) and the rest. But that is a story for another
time, and not really relevant to this forum. Ask me about it sometime, it was
FUN! :-)

Was it a great show? Hardly. Was it a great time? You betcha. I'll introduce
you to the living proof at any show where I may run into any of you, provided
they are in the vicinity.

Oh, one last thing: leaving the venue, I said to myself: "self, you should
really pick up one of those Pollack '97 Europe tour shirts" but then I said
"self, you'll almost surely see another show or two on this tour, and you only
have 40 pounds on you, needed for beer, cabs, airport transfers and such, you
don't want to have to get transfer more cash to pounds before your money life
becomes a sea of Gilders, just get one later". Doh! Yeah, like any of you have
an extra one of those, but if by the slightest chance you do, it would mean a
ton to me, and I have many, many kind items for trade, et cetera, blah blah,
yada yada, just forget it now, Phillip, you farked up, dude.

That's it. Forgive lack of spell-check, as it is way past my bedtime. Cheers,

-Phillip

------------------------------












------------------------------

From: FRonen@aol.com
Subject: Re: Setlist, 6/16/97 London England
Date: 23 Jun 1997 16:30:42 GMT

Hey! I was lucky enough to see this show (I just got home yesterday after 4
months away....so I'll start posting again, I guess) I was also lucky enough
to spend the second set with Tom Marshall, so here's the scoop.... The first
set closed with Olivious Pool, although they *are* saying oblivious
fool....II:Ghost--->I don't care...I thought it was waiting in the velvet
sea, but I guess wading makes more sense...i don't rightly know....I also
thought is was Dogs stole things, but I'm not sure.
It was a ridiculously sick show...the smallest room I've ever seen them in,
and it was fantastic...lots of americans, but lots of brits too...Fish is
bald as hell and he wasn't wearing a frock, but rather very nice casual
clothing and there was a coatrack (with coat) at the side of the
stage....there's a new guitar tech guy (the fat guy's gone)....In the middle
of Reba I was flipping out and I yelled at the top of my lungs "I love this
Jam" and Trey looked right at me and nodded. That was cool. OK. That's all
for now, I'm sure everything's already been said (I haven't checked
Rosemary's yet...)
By the way, ghost is AMAZING. (I took my ma to the show, and even she liked
it a lot!)
OK
byenow
ronen

------------------------------

From: kshewan@dial.pipex.com (Kevin Shewan)
Subject: Royal Albert Hall review
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 18:00:05 GMT

Royal Albert Hall 16th June 1997

Set 1
The squirming coil>Dog stole things, Taste, Water in the sky, Sample
in a jar, Beauty of my dreams, Theme from the bottom, Chalkdust
torture, Wolfman's brother, Oblivious fool

Set 2
Limb by limb, Story of the Ghost, I don't care about your reaction,
Reba, Wading in the velvet sea, dirt, Harry Hood

E: Cities, Poor heart

The Royal Albert Hall in case you don't know was built at the arse end
of the last century by Queen Victoria in memory of her late husband
(Albert - funnily enough) and has become a prestige venue. It seat's
around 5000 people which makes it easily the biggest place Phish have
played in Europe so far. It wasn't sold out and although the Arena and
stalls were full the boxes and gallery were still half-empty.

The scalpers had obviously done their homework and had bought up a lot
of good seats knowing there would be a lot of phans turning up on the
day without tickets. My seat was right there in the front row - Block
B row 3 (1 and 2 were taken out due to the stage extension) seat 9.
I've been right down the front before but this was excellent - the low
stage, only knee high made you feel if you were on stage with the
band. This was a source of much of the pre-show conversations among
the Americans who were all around me.

Anyway one of the first things I noticed about the stage was that
Trey's drums were not there and behind the drum kit was a coat stand.
I guess I'll never know why the drums weren't there but the coat stand
soon became apparent. When the band came on Fishman was wearing a
3-piece brown pin-strip suit and as he came on he carefully hung the
jacket up on the coat stand. The other striking aspect was his hair,
or lack of it! He has had his hair completely shaved off and his beard
is only a shadow of it's former self.

The show opened with Squirming coil but soon the band got into the
first new song of the evening which was called Dog stole things. I
don't remember much about this song as I was trying to concentrate on
the lyric's, which was difficult as our little booster PA seemed a bit
distorted (the main PA being two rows behind us). The first set was
full of quite short songs and next up was Taste and then another
newbie Water in the sky. The familiar opening chords to Sample soon
rang out and then this was followed by a "sort of" newbie Beauty of my
dreams, this seemed to me to be a bit harsher than the versions that
we have heard on the Europe Spring tapes. At the end Trey came over to
Fish and shouted something, I thought he had said "Bowie" but it
turned out to be bottom and the band shot off into Theme which was
followed by CDT and then Wolfman's brother which had the first real
jam of the evening in it. The first set ended with oblivious fool and
left me thinking how strange to end with a new song.

During the interval a rather plummy English School Ma'am voice came
over the PA.

"We would like to remind you that smoking is not permitted in the
auditorium"

Audience response "Waaaaaaaaaaagh"

The voice continued "Anyone found smoking will be asked to leave"

The second set started with not 1, not2 but 3 new songs in a row. The
first was Limb by limb which seemed to have a familiar feel to it and
will probably grow and grow as will the following Ghost which was for
me the best new song of the night - a real rocker. It seemed to merge
into the next song which I don't remember that well as I thought it
was the end of Ghost. The Reba which was the first oldie and the first
real jam of the night. Mike seemed to be having some bass problems
around this time and it was eventually swapped out. Wading in the
Velvet Sea was another good song. The main vocal being sang over and
over by Mike and Jon while Mike added what seemed to be the main
vocal. This was followed by dirt which again I don't remember that
well before the band finished off with Hood (a popular choice) which
jammed the set to a close.

Encores were a storming Cities - my personal highlight, I remember
thinking Phish can play Talking Heads better than Talking heads could!
The every popular Poor Heart closed up for the night.

At just over two hours this was easily the shortest Phish show I'd
ever been to. I wonder how the rest of the tour will pan out. Onward
to Glastonbury and Amsterdam - watch this space.

Bye for now
Kevin Shewan

        "Okay, fine, for sure, for sure 
        She's a valley Girl and there is no cure" 

http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/kshewan/

==============================

From: moondame@aol.com (MoonDame)
Subject: Re: Royal Albert Hall review
Date: 18 Jun 1997 05:15:30 GMT

Actually...I don't think that the set lengths were the band's decision.  I
read a review of this show on (gasp!) AOL, and the person writing said
that as you walked into the venue, posted on the front were flyers that
told exactly when the sets were 'scheduled' to start and end.  After
seeing the flyers, the guy thought it was only a formality, and that they
wouldn't follow it, but, indeed, the set ended just about on schedule. 

Now, I don't know for sure, but I highly doubt that Phish scheduled it
this way.  In a venue where you have ushers in black and red suits, who
'look more like valets,' I'd tend to think that things would be run a
little more formally.

Hope this helps to calm some nerves of those of you who are getting
worried about getting shortchanged this summer ;)

Happy trails...
Chelsea*

==============================

From: Member7678@aol.com
Subject: London -- Opinions/Review (long)
Date: 20 Jun 1997 03:50:09 GMT

     Well, I just got back from Europe and thought I'd let you all in on my
opinions on the show at the Royal Albert Hall.   First of all, I was
overjoyed that the band resisted temptation and chose not to play A Day In
The Life.  Now aside from that it was one of the strangest Phish shows I've
ever attended.  I expected new songs, but this was ridiculous.  I had never
heard half of the songs before.  Now understand, this has *never* happened to
me at a Phish show.  Even my first show (Trax, 1991)  I was familiar with
most of the songs, so this completely blew me away.

     Now before I get to giving my opinions on these songs I should get a few
things straight.  While I love Phish and am *ecstatic* to see them constantly
change, as a rule, I find their post '94 offerings leaving much to be
desired.  I feel Guyute was the last truly great song they wrote.  Now that
may be in part me being jaded or something, but I suspect even the most loyal
fans at least know where I'm coming from.  That being said, I never would
have expected some of the BB material to come as far as it has.  Taste has
gone through several transformations to become a truly enjoyable song.  Theme
especially '97 versions has developed into a much better song than I first
gave it credit for.  And I would never have expected Wolfman's Brother to be
jammed out the way it is now.  So in short, take my opionions with a grain of
salt, and  of course understand that I realize that each and every one of
these new songs are in their infantile stages.  

First of all, Royal Albert Hall is truly a beautiful theater.  It's right up
there with the Fox theater (and, I presume, the Warfield). Really, an amazing
place to see any band. While I'm talking about great theaters Phish played,
does anyone remember Springfield Symphony Hall?  I loved that place.  But, I
digress.  As for the scene outside the show, I can't really comment.  That's
one of the great things about seeing a show in London.  I was accross town at
a pub haning out before the show (Mmmm...  Fuller's London Pride) and just
took the tube, had an enjoyable 10 min walk along Hyde Park and hopped into
the show.  I was impressed with how the British scalpers have already picked
up on Phish.  They had posters, T-shirts, the works.  I must admit though, I
was even more impressed by the fact that they took a bath.

Well, the show started with Coil.  Blah.  If the rumor that they retired
twenty-some songs is true, it would have been nice if this was one of them.
 Don't get me wrong, I love Page's solo as much as anyone, but it seems as if
there are about ten songs they could easily integrate a piano solo into.
 Next was Dog Stole Things.  Cool, I thought, a new song.  I had no idea what
we were in for.  Next was Taste, which was an average version of an average
song.  Water In The Sky came next.  I really don't remember much about these
new songs except that both of them kind of seemd written in the same vein as
My Soul (although both were _much_ more interesting).  What I mean is that
they're both something of a return to a roots kind of basic songwriting.
 Which is great, I think I can feel the band moving in a good direction.
 They're writing some relatively basic, but nvertheless, energetic songs
which will hopefully lead them to more of the tunes I've been waiting oh so
patiently for.  

     Next was Sample.  They really must love playing this song.  That's all
I'll say about it.  Beauty Of My Dreams followed.  Standard.  I do enjoy this
song, though (as much as I enjoy My sweet One, for instance, but I enjoy it
nonetheless).  Then came Theme.  Great version of this songTreys solo at the
end has made this a much better song of late.  Definitely a highlight of this
otherwise boring set.  Next was Chalkdust.  Inspired, got me moving, not much
else to say.  Wolfman's Brother was far and away the highlight of the set for
me, and in the same league as 3/1/97.  Wow, I just can't get over what
they've done with this song.   When Hoist first came out, this was one of my
favorite songs on the album (which wasn't saying much).  It was never a song
I hoped to hear live though.  Just not much to it.  But now that the jammed
version appears here to stay, I'll take it at any show, especially in the
first set.  Next was Oblivious Foll.  Short.  Not alot to it, same thing I
said about the other songs applies.  Below average first set, though
Wolfman's was a bona fide highlight.  Maybe a 2.5.

Secon set opened with Limb by Limb.  This was a Trey/Page duet in the spirit
of Rift.  I enjoyed this song but felt that the vocalks kind of got in the
way.  Now part of it may just be that these songs are still green, but it
just seemed like all of these vocals were being layered over what otherwise
would have been very enjoyable music. They were kind of in the way at times.
 But these are all things that must be worked out.  Story of the Ghost was
next.  Well I don't know if there was some sort of theme here, but at ths
point the Wolfman and the Ghost were the best tunes of the night.  This song
had the energy that the others kind of lacked (at least on first listen).
 Trey was very into it and it was just a good rockin' tune.  I don't really
remember much about the next tune (and since its title doesn't seem to be
common knowledge, I have nothing with which to jog my memory).  Reba was an
average version.  The end didn't exactly build up to the peak it usually
does.  Next was possibly my favorite of the new songs, Waiting (or Wading?)
in the Velvet Sea.  This was pretty much Mike repeating the same line over a
lovely Trey solo.  The song kind of reminded me of the ending of FEFY, or at
least it reminds me of it now, which is to say that it's really hard writing
a review of songs you've never previously heard four days after hearing them
for the first time while writing a run-on sentence.  Anyway I dug the velvet
Sea thing.  Dirt, a song abou Trey's desire to live beneath the dirt,
followed.  First Steep/Swept Away and now this.  Interesting.  This was also
a slower song which I seem to remember enjoying.  Harry was next and I foung
it to be an above average version, save for the ending.  The build was really
nice (until I realized it was 10:40 and the fliers said the show would end by
10:50).  They didn't finish this Hood which I find very disappointing when it
closes a show.  I remember some nice work by Mike in this Hood and while it
wasn't a classic wet your pants version, it was pretty damn good and very
welcome after 5 new songs out of six.  

The encore was Cities which I was psyched to hear for the first time.  This
was actually a huge bonus since I (and just about everybody else, no doubt)
was expecting ADITL.  Cities was as well played as any version I would
imagine (I only have one version of this on tape).  Poor Heart was next.
 Whatever.  The second set was also, frankly, a below average set maybe a
4.0.  It's really hard to get into that many completely new songs, if only
because they're all so raw.  While I enjoyed most of them, they never really
took me to that next level.  Maybe someday they will, as they seem to have
some good points (and some bad points :-)  I don't think the next YEM is
lurking in these songs (which is a grossly unfair comparison to make anyway),
but I do feel they're a step in the right direction.    

One more thing, to the people who were upset that the show was so short and
felt cheated that they travelled so far to see them for such a short show.
 First I'm fairly certain it wasn't the band's fault, but the venue's.  And
secondly if you travelled all the way to Europe just to see a Phish show,
you've got problems. 

Just an opinion,

~Steve        

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