Can (German band) - historic gig in Leicester, 1973

[kushiro]

My elder brother used to go on and on about a Can gig at he went to in 1973 - how they improvised the whole gig and kept playng until about 6 in the morning. I was too young to go, but I loved the Can albums he used to play - Tago Mago, Soundtracks, Ege Bamyasi, Future Days.

 

Now a new book has come out telling the story of the band (All Gates Open - by Rob Young and Irmin Schmidt), and the book backs up my brother's story. Apparently they did a 20 gig tour of the UK in February and March 1973, and the Leicester gig (at the poly, I think) gets a specific mention - saying how they played 'six encores'.  It's a great book - finally giving the band the treatment they deserve. 

 

The last part of the book consists of a series of conversations between Shmidt (who played keyboards in the band) and other figures from the music world. There's one wonderful conversation with Mark E Smith, heavily influenced by Can, which is just about worth the price of the book alone.

 

Being over here in Japan I'm especially interested in the story of how Damo Suzuki joined up with the band. I knew that they spotted him by chance one day busking in Munich, and invited him to join the band there and then. But I never knew how he'd come to be in Europe in the first place. Apparently he put an advert in a Swedish newspaper back in 1967 saying he was interested in learning about Swedish culture and would anyone put him for a few weeks. He got 20 replies! 

 

And guess what - Damo Suzuki is playing a gig in Leicester on the18th of this month! At the Sound House. I bet there will be aging hippies who went to that gig in 1973 who go along and shout for 'Mother Sky' and 'Hallelujah'. As far as I know, though, Damo focuses on new material in his gigs.

 

Anyone got any memories? I'd love to know if anyone went to that gig back in 1973.

 

Here's a taste:

 

[inckley fox]

That gig was before my time but I've had 'Vitamin C' (I think it's called) by Can stuck in my head for about a week, for some odd reason.

[Alf Bentley]

Outstanding. Thanks for that, @kushiro

 

I never saw Can. Too young. I suppose you'd have to be 60+ to have seen them in their heyday. Love what I've heard since, though - and should know them better than I do.

I saw Damo Suzuki in Leicester a few years ago. I thought he was OK, but not as great as I was hoping - more mainstream than expected. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood, though, and he was just the Can singer, not an instrumentalist.

Don't want to put anyone off - and might try to make that gig on 18th. 

 

Here's Can with Damo in live action:

 

The Can influence is evident in The Fall: repetitive industrial rhythms with other stuff swirling over the top.

 

Funny how Krautrock was seen as an offshoot of Hippiedom, yet is cited as an influence by a few of the 70s punks.

Here's Lydon (brief 1977 interview, then excellent Can track), though Can influenced PIL,not the Pistols.

 

[Rocket-Ron]

Damo Suzuki is playing the soundhouse soonish. With the Soundcarriers and KittenFang

[Blue ROI]

11 hours ago, Alf Bentley said:

Outstanding. Thanks for that, @kushiro

 

I never saw Can. Too young. I suppose you'd have to be 60+ to have seen them in their heyday. Love what I've heard since, though - and should know them better than I do.

I saw Damo Suzuki in Leicester a few years ago. I thought he was OK, but not as great as I was hoping - more mainstream than expected. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood, though, and he was just the Can singer, not an instrumentalist.

Don't want to put anyone off - and might try to make that gig on 18th. 

 

Here's Can with Damo in live action:

 

The Can influence is evident in The Fall: repetitive industrial rhythms with other stuff swirling over the top.

 

Funny how Krautrock was seen as an offshoot of Hippiedom, yet is cited as an influence by a few of the 70s punks.

Here's Lydon (brief 1977 interview, then excellent Can track), though Can influenced PIL,not the Pistols.

 

The song 'Spoon' is where the name for the 00s US band came from.