May 21, 2000 Phoenix Center, Exeter

Report by Sali

Set List: A House is Not a Motel / Lazy Me / Bummer in the Summer / Bluebird / If I were a Carpenter / Darkness Darkness / Think! / Early in the Morning / Groovin / Baby Please Don’t Go Encore: As Long As I Have You / Gloria / 2nd encore: Morning Dew / Trouble in Mind /

We are beginning to make a considerable number of new American friends at these shows. Tonight we met Lisa, Carol and Jennifer from Tulsa, Oklahoma - and a ‘damned fine’ time they were having.

The first few numbers involved the interplay of three guitars, Carlisle Egypt, Owen Glendwr, and Eric Bloodaxe and boy do they know how to interplay. The Giant Geraint, having metamorphosed from his previous incarnations, was clearly going to be on fine form on drums tonight moving deftly into the lighter touches for a touch of the Frere Jacques from Owen. ”Hell Yeah!” was the Lisa’s comment.

Carlisle led us cheekily into Bummer in the Summer with some unorthodox swipes and swings but then no-one could ever accuse Carlisle of being orthodox! No-one else plays quite like him, fast, furious, intricate, fun. Calls of ‘Guitar Hero’ from the audience. This is tight.

Robert began telling us about his first appearance at Exeter, at the university in 1967 and was instantly corrected by heckling anoraks but he was sure that he had appeared with Kevyn and John Bonham even if there was some argument about the date. In tonight’s introduction to Blubird Stephen Stills was cross dressed. Carlisle Egypt was in melodic mode for Carpenter and both audience and band hung on Robert’s every word with a beautiful pause before the last verse which has the auditorium spellbound - perfectly prepared for Darkness Darkness.

Robert’s comment about them being ‘Not your average band’ made Carlisle smile and as he introduced the band a call of ‘who are you?’ caused Robert to remember earlier days when he introduced everyone except himself - but made up for it by sticking his chest out.

The Giant Geraint was really rocking for Baby Please Don’t Go and inspired some wonderful shaking on down from Robert. There were some interesting lyrics I’ve never noticed before in As Long As I Have You - along the lines of ‘It’s the size of your needle’. Gloria was rousing. Happy Birthday appeared briefly on guitar and then it was a powerful Morning Dew. It’s all about the time machine. A hint of Poetry in Motion led us into Trouble in Mind which Carlisle paused brifely to confirm what many of us were thinking ‘He can still sing’. Long may it continue.

article courtesy Sali, who allowed the contents of her Calling to You website to be added to ManicNirvana.com.