On Sun, 30 Jun 1996, Eric Frans response Greg Earle:
quoted 21 lines I think calling Meat Beat Manifesto's sound 'horrible' is a little much.> I think calling Meat Beat Manifesto's sound 'horrible' is a little much.
> Sure they broke out with a live drum kit, sax, and guitar, but you've got
> to admit that the drummer was the shit (in a good shit way 8) ), though.
> His drum breaks fit in perfectly with the electronic drum tracks and his
> timing was right on IMO. Did you catch the one section of the set
> where there was an extended drum track with only low Moog-like bass
> over the top? That was some serious Meat Beat funk! (If anyone knows
> what the hell I'm talking about here, was that a new cut because I didn't
> recognize it from the new double album?). Plus it was kind of cool to
> here a more improvisational feel to a lot the Meat Beat classics like
> Helter Skelter and Radio Babylon. I have to agree with you though about
> the guitar and sax, since I could barely even hear those two instruments
> in the mix. Jack's vocals did drop out every once in awhile, but they
> definitely were loud enough during quite a bit ot the show. You forgot
> to mention the addition of the theremin also. I thought that guy in the
> back controlling the keyboards and the theremin did a nice job of adding
> those great sci-fi sounds into the mix. I'm a big Meat Beat Manifesto fan
> myself and it might have been nice to hear some of the tracks from the new
> 2nd disc, but I don't think the lack of those songs and the addition of
> 'real' instruments made for a 'horrible' set. At least they were up for
> trying something new.
I have to agree that MBM was definitely not horrible, and the drummer was
really good. This was my first time seeing Meat Beat perform, and I think
they did a really good job. I think that having the live drummer and
guitarist was kind of cool. The drummer was solid! Perhaps, after years
of using drum machines, Jack decided to experiment a little with his live
performance. I will admit the highlight of his performance was when he
played old favorites like Helter Skelter, and God O.D. At one point it in
the show I could of swore that Jack was singing part of Ashes to Ashes by
David Bowie, that was a big surprise.
Getting back to live drumming, I read that Orbital taped a friend
drumming so that they could sample and use it on their new album. I don't
know what kind of drum machine they use, maybe they are bore with it's
sounds or they wanted a different kind of drum sound then they have
electronically.