It was a warm night in Dijon, Spring 1981. We were on a school Geography trip on the way to Switzerland. My mate Mike had just bought a copy of Force Majeure on cassette from a little French record shop, & then played it on the tape player in the campsite that evening. French wine, French food, warm evening & shooting stars & TD. What an introduction.
Timeless quote from Jim Grant (teacher) on that trip - "Gee guys, look at that cloud formation!".
Sam was already into TD by then, & he helped me on my Tangerine Dream journey.
My first album purchase was Rubycon (got it from John Menzies in Redditch, 1981), which is a classic, I'm sure you'll agree. It took me a while to get into, as I'd only heard Force Majeure up to then, but the effort was worth it. Later that year the three of us (Mike, Sam & me) saw the Tangs in concert at the Birmingham Odeon. There was gauze draped over the stage, & the keyboards were behind. The band never acknowledge the audience, except for a wave at the end. The concert was in two parts, & I was pleased that I recognized part of Force Majeure. I remember that there was a huge cheer & applause from the audience when Edgar got up to play guitar.
Steve wrote:It was a warm night in Dijon, Spring 1981. We were on a school Geography trip on the way to Switzerland. My mate Mike had just bought a copy of Force Majeure on cassette from a little French record shop, & then played it on the tape player in the campsite that evening. French wine, French food, warm evening & shooting stars & TD. What an introduction.
Timeless quote from Jim Grant (teacher) on that trip - "Gee guys, look at that cloud formation!".
Sam was already into TD by then, & he helped me on my Tangerine Dream journey.
My first album purchase was Rubycon (got it from John Menzies in Redditch, 1981), which is a classic, I'm sure you'll agree. It took me a while to get into, as I'd only heard Force Majeure up to then, but the effort was worth it. Later that year the three of us (Mike, Sam & me) saw the Tangs in concert at the Birmingham Odeon. There was gauze draped over the stage, & the keyboards were behind. The band never acknowledge the audience, except for a wave at the end. The concert was in two parts, & I was pleased that I recognized part of Force Majeure. I remember that there was a huge cheer & applause from the audience when Edgar got up to play guitar.
Marvelous!
Sure sounds Marvellous Steve..........and i sure do agree on your Rubycon sentiments
Steve wrote:It was a warm night in Dijon, Spring 1981. We were on a school Geography trip on the way to Switzerland. My mate Mike had just bought a copy of Force Majeure on cassette from a little French record shop, & then played it on the tape player in the campsite that evening. French wine, French food, warm evening & shooting stars & TD. What an introduction.
Timeless quote from Jim Grant (teacher) on that trip - "Gee guys, look at that cloud formation!".
Sam was already into TD by then, & he helped me on my Tangerine Dream journey.
My first album purchase was Rubycon (got it from John Menzies in Redditch, 1981), which is a classic, I'm sure you'll agree. It took me a while to get into, as I'd only heard Force Majeure up to then, but the effort was worth it. Later that year the three of us (Mike, Sam & me) saw the Tangs in concert at the Birmingham Odeon. There was gauze draped over the stage, & the keyboards were behind. The band never acknowledge the audience, except for a wave at the end. The concert was in two parts, & I was pleased that I recognized part of Force Majeure. I remember that there was a huge cheer & applause from the audience when Edgar got up to play guitar.
Marvelous!
The Birmingham Odeon gig, sounds exactly like the Brighton Dome concert, of the same year. Great memories!
"In the absurd often lies what is artistically possible." - Edgar Froese
Steve wrote:It was a warm night in Dijon, Spring 1981. We were on a school Geography trip on the way to Switzerland. My mate Mike had just bought a copy of Force Majeure on cassette from a little French record shop, & then played it on the tape player in the campsite that evening. French wine, French food, warm evening & shooting stars & TD. What an introduction.
Timeless quote from Jim Grant (teacher) on that trip - "Gee guys, look at that cloud formation!".
Sam was already into TD by then, & he helped me on my Tangerine Dream journey.
My first album purchase was Rubycon (got it from John Menzies in Redditch, 1981), which is a classic, I'm sure you'll agree. It took me a while to get into, as I'd only heard Force Majeure up to then, but the effort was worth it. Later that year the three of us (Mike, Sam & me) saw the Tangs in concert at the Birmingham Odeon. There was gauze draped over the stage, & the keyboards were behind. The band never acknowledge the audience, except for a wave at the end. The concert was in two parts, & I was pleased that I recognized part of Force Majeure. I remember that there was a huge cheer & applause from the audience when Edgar got up to play guitar.
Marvelous!
The Birmingham Odeon gig, sounds exactly like the Brighton Dome concert, of the same year. Great memories!
Sounds like the two shows I saw in 1980 and 1981 at the Manchester Apollo. As you say the band played behind a curtain rarely acknowledging the audience and the lighting was very sparse. Some spot-lights off stage, a few lights in the overhead gantry and two rows of red lights extending back over Chris Franke's equipment, centre stage. The red lights were linked into the sequencers and would flash in perfect time to whatever the sequencers were playing. Doesn't sound much by todays standards but at the time it was awesome.
Steve wrote:It was a warm night in Dijon, Spring 1981. We were on a school Geography trip on the way to Switzerland. My mate Mike had just bought a copy of Force Majeure on cassette from a little French record shop, & then played it on the tape player in the campsite that evening. French wine, French food, warm evening & shooting stars & TD. What an introduction.
Timeless quote from Jim Grant (teacher) on that trip - "Gee guys, look at that cloud formation!".
Sam was already into TD by then, & he helped me on my Tangerine Dream journey.
My first album purchase was Rubycon (got it from John Menzies in Redditch, 1981), which is a classic, I'm sure you'll agree. It took me a while to get into, as I'd only heard Force Majeure up to then, but the effort was worth it. Later that year the three of us (Mike, Sam & me) saw the Tangs in concert at the Birmingham Odeon. There was gauze draped over the stage, & the keyboards were behind. The band never acknowledge the audience, except for a wave at the end. The concert was in two parts, & I was pleased that I recognized part of Force Majeure. I remember that there was a huge cheer & applause from the audience when Edgar got up to play guitar.
Marvelous!
The Birmingham Odeon gig, sounds exactly like the Brighton Dome concert, of the same year. Great memories!
Sounds like the two shows I saw in 1980 and 1981 at the Manchester Apollo. As you say the band played behind a curtain rarely acknowledging the audience and the lighting was very sparse. Some spot-lights off stage, a few lights in the overhead gantry and two rows of red lights extending back over Chris Franke's equipment, centre stage. The red lights were linked into the sequencers and would flash in perfect time to whatever the sequencers were playing. Doesn't sound much by todays standards but at the time it was awesome.
Hobo wrote:
The Birmingham Odeon gig, sounds exactly like the Brighton Dome concert, of the same year. Great memories!
Sounds like the two shows I saw in 1980 and 1981 at the Manchester Apollo. As you say the band played behind a curtain rarely acknowledging the audience and the lighting was very sparse. Some spot-lights off stage, a few lights in the overhead gantry and two rows of red lights extending back over Chris Franke's equipment, centre stage. The red lights were linked into the sequencers and would flash in perfect time to whatever the sequencers were playing. Doesn't sound much by todays standards but at the time it was awesome.
not forgetting the green searchlights?
Yep. Also, if my memory serves me correctly, they had lots of small white lights around the edge of the lighting rig which were triggered in sequence so that it looked like lightning dancing around the edge of the rig. Simple but very effective. Ahhh happy days.
Chris Monk wrote:
Sounds like the two shows I saw in 1980 and 1981 at the Manchester Apollo. As you say the band played behind a curtain rarely acknowledging the audience and the lighting was very sparse. Some spot-lights off stage, a few lights in the overhead gantry and two rows of red lights extending back over Chris Franke's equipment, centre stage. The red lights were linked into the sequencers and would flash in perfect time to whatever the sequencers were playing. Doesn't sound much by todays standards but at the time it was awesome.
not forgetting the green searchlights?
Yep. Also, if my memory serves me correctly, they had lots of small white lights around the edge of the lighting rig which were triggered in sequence so that it looked like lightning dancing around the edge of the rig. Simple but very effective. Ahhh happy days.
can't remember that bit, but...you're spot on abut the redlights (I did a drawing of this at the time), they were in two V shaped sections...as you said in perfect sync with the music. I seem to remember that Thomas Dolby bored everyone to death telling them that he bought TD's PPG that controlled their lights at this period
24db wrote:can't remember that bit, but...you're spot on abut the redlights (I did a drawing of this at the time), they were in two V shaped sections...as you said in perfect sync with the music. I seem to remember that Thomas Dolby bored everyone to death telling them that he bought TD's PPG that controlled their lights at this period
I have a vague recollection that the red lights were in a different configuration on the 1981 tour to the 1980 tour. In 1980 they were in a straight line but in 1981 they had become a gentle curve (for want of a better description). I do remember thinking I want something similar for my bedroom so I knocked up a set off lights that reacted to certain frequencies. It looked cr@p by comparison.
I get the feeling that we feel TD belongs to us personally, if you understand my meaning.
I had no idea that so many of you feel the same way about MY band, so huge is the effect they've had on us all at different times and with very different albums.
I can remember with great affection the occasions I heard many of their releases for the first time; Rubycon in total darkness at home, Force Majeure and Tangram on my mates awsome sounding system. Logos round another mates house. Underwater Sunlight one pleasant evening and staring spellbound at the signed card that came with the MFD DVD, together with the signed JF ep.
24db wrote:can't remember that bit, but...you're spot on abut the redlights (I did a drawing of this at the time), they were in two V shaped sections...as you said in perfect sync with the music. I seem to remember that Thomas Dolby bored everyone to death telling them that he bought TD's PPG that controlled their lights at this period
I have a vague recollection that the red lights were in a different configuration on the 1981 tour to the 1980 tour. In 1980 they were in a straight line but in 1981 they had become a gentle curve (for want of a better description). I do remember thinking I want something similar for my bedroom so I knocked up a set off lights that reacted to certain frequencies. It looked cr@p by comparison.
you should have brought it along to the astoria in 2003...it would have been better than the lights they had night