I think Pete and I came to roughly the same conclusions about
Mike's performance. There were some fantastic moments, but overall it
seemed unfocused and random. I got the distinct impression that he hasn't
really got the hang of doing his thing live yet. It felt more like
eavesdropping on him in the studio: bits of rhythms and melody would spurt
out suddenly, sometimes evolving into his characteristically beautiful
cacophonies, often just petering out or stopping suddenly. I don't know
to what extent he was hampered by technical difficulties, but he was
visibly frustrated. Obviously, he was quite unhappy with the sound system,
but it sounded adequate to me.
I'm quite reluctant myself to comment on his personality or
character. My brief hullo was met pretty icily, as I gather was Pete's,
but I couldn't say if such treatment should be attributed to an overgrown
ego or overwhelming shyness or some odd combination. The squabble outside
the boat seemed rather tactless and petty, but again I don't know the
details and I'm reserving any kind of judgement. Watching him crawl into
the back of an overcrowded, dilapidated station wagon was both hilarious
and poignant: it reminded me that fortune doesn't always accompany fame
(although it sounds like it will for him soon). He struck me as the type
for whom sudden attention and success could be quite stressful and
unbalancing. I hope he can keep his head together; it's in absolutely
the right place. Anyway, I don't care how big his head swells as long as
he keeps making those fabulous records!
As Pete said, the boat ride around the bay was spectacular and
easily worth the price of admission alone. Sailing under the Golden Gate
bridge in the cool night air to Reload's sweetest refrains was an
epiphany I'll never forget. It was also great fun to finally associate
some faces with the names I see on IDM every day. The record shops in
Berkeley are deadly, though, with Rasputin's offering a unexpectedly
large selection at great prices. (Didn't find a single thing there the
last time I was in S.F.)