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Post by waiting-for-changes on May 6, 2023 12:59:14 GMT
I never thought it would happen, given Grant's preference for the old skool. But at Teddy Rocks, the band are using a metronome to set the tempos for at least some songs. For non-drummers, here's how it works. The drummer had an electronic drum pad next to their kit. That pad is loaded with a metronome click that either lasts just enough bars to set the tempo, or the entire song (different bands use it differently). The drummer hits the pad and it triggers a count-in that only the band can hear. You can see it on the Teddy Rocks videos on YouTube for: Torpedo (Geoff hits the pad and there's a one-bar silence in which Grant looks like he's concentrating pretty hard, then he and Geoff start in sync) and Just a Day (there's a flub here, with Geoff starting the count and keeping in time, but Grant falling out of sync Some growing pains, then. But I think this is good news, given the wildly lurching tempos that have dogged the band since Geoff joined.
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Post by buckrogers96 on May 16, 2023 21:44:10 GMT
You're right, but I think you've missed a more obvious difference - no Dean! I can still hear keyboards, so I think they played with all the keys on backing tracks for this gig. Maybe Dean has left? The wikipedia page does actually list him has a "former touring member", but this could just be someone jumping to conclusions (or perhaps they know something we don't)... You can see on this photo that Geoff has a laptop next to him from which they are running the tracks c8.alamy.com/comp/2R0P3WW/feeder-headlining-day-2-of-teddy-rocks-festival-2023-credit-alamycharlie-raven-2R0P3WW.jpgThey sounded super tight with the click track, and I hope they keep using it even if Dean does return to play live keyboards
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Post by waiting-for-changes on May 17, 2023 13:14:51 GMT
Oh shit, I didn't notice that Dean's not there! Prepping the tracks is a fairly big job, so maybe he has left. (That said, on the Torpedo stuff, Grant can presumably just extract the keyboard parts and click from the album ProTools session or Logic or whatever he used). I agree that they should keep the tracks. As you say, they're tighter with them. Also tracks like 'Just the Way I'm Feeling' sound better with the actual string recordings than with keyboard approximations.
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Post by buckrogers96 on May 17, 2023 19:01:44 GMT
Definitely agree re: the real strings; would be amazing to hear YWTS live with the original strings (and High as well), plus its nice to hear the tambourines and extra bits of percussion here and there. I have a feeling though that Grant will just bring in a new keyboard player eventually (if Dean has indeed left), given his preference for the old school as you say... but I hope I'm wrong
Interesting how they were even using the click on songs without any keyboard parts (Insomnia, Just a Day etc.); maybe you're on to something re: the somewhat wild tempos.
No shade on Geoff though, he's actually my favourite drummer they've had since Jon, seems to go for it a bit more. His version of My Perfect Day is great; he puts in all the cool fills from the original which the others seemed to leave out, as well as sticking the hi-hat whilst pedaling throughout the song
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Post by waiting-for-changes on May 18, 2023 12:02:34 GMT
No shade on Geoff though, he's actually my favourite drummer they've had since Jon, seems to go for it a bit more. His version of My Perfect Day is great; he puts in all the cool fills from the original which the others seemed to leave out, as well as sticking the hi-hat whilst pedaling throughout the song That's interesting, I really struggle with Geoff's drumming. As we've said, the tempos can be erratic, both from night to night and within individual songs, with some getting faster and faster (like 'Just a Day' often) or even slower ( this performance of 'Radiation', for example). And I think he often picks fills with syncopation that goes against the feel of the song (this is hard to explain, but 'Insomnia' and 'Come Back Around' spring to mind). I don't understand it, given his enormous session experience and the fact that he came recommended by Karl Brazil, who is extraordinarily precise. More than that, it amazes me how many big mistakes get made, given how long he's been with the band. I've seen so many on YouTube. Not just the 'Just a Day' example in this thread, but at the start of performances like: You could argue that Grant is guilty in these examples too. But either way, Grant and Geoff just don't seem to click, musically. I dunno. You know that feeling when you're riding in a car with a nervous driver who makes decisions late or doesn't seem to be looking properly, and you find yourself instinctively pressing an imaginary brake pedal? I get that at Feeder gigs now.
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Post by buckrogers96 on May 18, 2023 16:42:45 GMT
Wow the tempo on that version of Radiation is all over the place. I remember he did this really weird syncopated thing in the intro of 'Lost & Found' as well - the first time I saw him do it I actually thought he'd messed up, but then he did the exact same thing at the next gig. Just Geoff things I guess...
I'd forgotten about that version of 'Universe of Life' - I know Karl plays on the original anyway, but to give an album-quality performance of a song in what appears to be just one take is beyond impressive
Never seen him live with band though - saw them with Damon in 2012 and obviously Geoff more recently. Watching Damon play 'Borders' was pure theatre! Was just listening to some old bootlegs from 2012-ish actually; they should really bring back more of the Generation Freakshow stuff now that they have a second guitarist - lots of really good live songs that Grant seems to have just ditched
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Post by waiting-for-changes on May 19, 2023 16:29:32 GMT
I saw Karl at the Renegades shows. He's a machine.
Agreed on Damon and on revisiting Generation Freakshow. It feels like that album has joined Silent Cry as a sort of 'forgotten' Feeder album.
I saw the Koko show back in 2012 where they played, I think, most of the album. It was one of my favourite Feeder shows ever.
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Post by buckrogers96 on May 20, 2023 12:29:55 GMT
My first Feeder show actually was at the Leadmill in 2012 on the day GF was released - obviously most weren't familiar with the new songs (apart from Borders), but they still went down great and hold up today I think
Grant has said a few times though that it didn't exactly land as well as he'd hoped, which probably explains why it doesn't appear in setlists (like Silent Cry). But if that's the case, then I can't understand why a better received record like YWTS is similarly ignored tour after tour - it's been over 15 years since anything outside of Insomnia and YWTS was played live (and even YWTS isn't played at every gig)! Waiting for Changes and Evergreen were both staples in the set for years and then just... disappeared
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Post by waiting-for-changes on May 22, 2023 12:59:14 GMT
It's been over 15 years since anything outside of Insomnia and YWTS was played live (and even YWTS isn't played at every gig)! Waiting for Changes and Evergreen were both staples in the set for years and then just... disappeared Well, 2024 is the 25th anniversary of YWTS (1999). If only Grant could get over his aversion to album shows... (Relatedly, part of me wants Feeder to bow out in 2027 with a tour celebrating both the 30th anniversary of Polythene (1997) and 25th anniversary of Comfort in Sound (2002): both albums back to back then call it a night).
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Post by buckrogers96 on May 23, 2023 11:30:43 GMT
I think Grant is fairly averse to any sort of projects based on old material to be honest; no remastered/ remixed stuff, box sets etc... I was a little surprised when they released the new version of MPD a few years ago
But if he does finally give in to the idea of an album tour, then I think CIS will be first on the list (although I'd love to see Echo Park, if only for 'Bug'...!)
It'd probably feel like less of a cash-in if they just made it part of the setlist when they release a new album, and didn't bill it as an "xyz album tour" - 5-7 new songs, 3-5 other songs, with a full album in between
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