Robben Ford Discussion

[Cheebatone]

What a gig! It took a round trip of seven-and-half hours of driving on some of the worst roads in the UK, though traffic that consisted entirely of caravans - - and it meant I didn't get into bed until 3am ...but who cares?! WHAT. A. GIG!!!

I've only ever had front row seats for two gigs in my whole life - and I can't tell you how happy I am that this was the second! Myself and the friends I went with gambled that (because of their stage positions on the Tokyo DVD) Robben would be on the right and Larry would be on the left, so that's where we got our tickets. I have to say, as much of a huge fan of Larry as I am, I was the tiniest bit disappointed when it became evident that our grand plan was for nought. They were the other way round.

Our slight disappoint was, obviously, totally incinerated the moment Larry warmed-up. I've actually never seen him play better. He was fantastic.

Robben told us he had some sort of throat infection and couldn't sing. I actually think it was a lot worse than he made out because he didn't look well all night and his playing was not as good as I've seen in the past. That having been said, he still killed! Does this man ever use the same chord twice?! Subtlety, nuance, feeling - and let's not forget TONE - Robben has it all by the bucket-load and, as much as his albums are great, I really don't think you get a handle on just how much artistry the man has until you see him play live. Have I seen him play better? Yes. Have a seen a better player? NO. And, given the company he was in last night (and even though that company probably had the better gig), that is one hell of a compliment.

Set highlights (for me) were; Cold Gold (Larry's solo in this was truly outstanding. I wanted to live inside the sound his 335 was making in those few moments!), Derrick's Blues, Autumn Leaves and the instumental version of Help The Poor they had to play because of Robben's throat infection. I also really liked the last piece they played (for the encore). I don't know what it's called but, when it had finished, I turned to one of my friends and said, "Just Robben and Larry as a duo! Does it get any better than that?!"

As it turns out, the answer was ,"Yes!"

As we were exiting the theatre, a guy at the top of the stairs said, "Larry and Robben will be signing stuff in a minute - if you want to hang around" If I want to hang around?! IF?! Yes. Yes, I want to hang around! So we all got to meet Robben and Larry, got some CD's autographed, shook their hands and thanked them both for, not only, a great gig but also for the inspirations they'd been for years. At the risk of sounding like a fanboy - IT WAS GREAT!

Anybody-else from the forum there?
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I first started to play guitar 35 years ago... Trouble is, I had 20 years off in the middle.

[richardmca]

Glad to hear you liked it. I must say I was severly disappointed. Not in the playing, which was great when I could hear it, but in the sound, which was the worst I've experienced while actually being IN the same hall as the band. For the first five or so numbers, it sounded like a band sounds while you are outside and waiting for them to finish sound-checking in an empty hall. From where I was in the middle of the seating area about two-thirds back, it was totally impossible to hear what RF was playing, although LC came through clearer. RF could have been playing at the bottom of a well. Bass sound just awful too.

It did start to improve by the time RF did Cannonball Shuffle, but the sound was only really properly intelligible at lower volume levels, and it was noticeable how much clearer LC's sound was throughout. At first I thought it must be a very bad natural acoustic, but when it began to improve, it showed that the hall is not totally to blame. It is after all a purpose built concert hall and used by the Bournemouth Sympony Orchestra, although that doesn't guarantee a good acoustic for higher volume levels.

Great drumming from Toss. His mannerisms kept reminding me of Keith Moon.

Still, if I'd been seeing RF for the first time as some of my guests were, I wouldn't have been too impressed and that's a real pity. In fact it was LC who impressed them, and I'm sure that's not because Robben was off-form, it was because we couldn't hear him clearly.
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'Think of a note, then don't play it' - Miles Davis on the art of improvisation. Or, as adapted for my own use: 'Think of a note, then realise you can't play it.'

[mikeymike]

I'd just like to add a little note to the Poole gig. My son, who lives with me in Middlesex, loves Robben so much that he and the keyboardist in his band, who is an even bigger Robben fan and lives in Weymouth, got tickets for the show. It was only a 6 hour return journey and he went the night before, so excited was he-they were like little kids (bear in mind that my son is 19 and his keyboardist is 22!). When he came home this morning he was quite down. The reason was that even though they enjoyed the music, the after show events spoiled his day. He, too, heard the call for the 'meet and greet' and couldn't wait to meet his hero. Sadly, when he got to Robben, he asked if he would sign his guitar. Now this is a custom built Telecaster which was signed on the headstock by Buddy Guy(my son was lucky enough to be invited on stage and jam with him in a small club in London a few years ago). Imagine his disappointment when Robben refused saying that 'he would sell it on eBay'......Now is it me or do you think I'm wrong to think that Robben places just a little too much worth on his own fame? I certainly have heard (and seen) him but does 98% of the population even know who he is? As fine a guitarist that he is, I would get more money on a guitar signed by one of the Spice girls. This is, of course, a sad reflection of the music business to-day, with style paramount over content. And to end a fine evening, the keyboardist said,'OK, well then can I have a photo taken with you?' to which Robben again refused. It wouldn't have rankled so much if they hadn't see him have a photo taken with a fan a few minutes earlier. If this letter ever gets through the moderators, it would be nice for Robben to hear how he let down 2 BIG time fans. And the truth is that no matter how unsavoury the story is, it's going to do the music rounds here in the large musical clique that my son mixes in. I joined this forum to air my views and will no doubt receive a torrent of abuse. I realise that he was ill, he's been on the road for a time etc etc but the plain fact is that I think he was very ungracious.

[richardmca]

He must have been feeling off for sure because last year at Frome he signed quite a few guitars, my old LP included, without a qualm. I would never sell mine on ebay because he signed it, and I don't know if it's really worth more to me because he signed, but it just seemed like a fun thing to do. I would question the point of having a guitar signed if you want to sell it, because it limits the value to those who are Robben fans (and want his signature on a guitar they own) - to everyone else who doesn't know who he is, it's a blemish on the guitar. And frankly since it's known he signs guitars for fans, does it really add value to any potential buyer? Is anyone going to think 'this has been touched by RF so I'll pay more?' That's not real provenance.

BTW, the encore they did was an old Crusaders number if I remember right (we are going back to the 70s here...

And another thing...I thought his new CD was supposed to be out by now. Any sign of it in UK?

Anyway, after all this negativity, I should say I thought that both players did some very interesting stuff (when I could hear it) and that as a show, the duet thing brings out different and exploratory aspects in RF's playing at least - don't know enough of LC's stuff to say , but he was certainly very adventurous. So anyone reading this who is lined up to see them - don't be put off! Just hope you get better sound.
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'Think of a note, then don't play it' - Miles Davis on the art of improvisation. Or, as adapted for my own use: 'Think of a note, then realise you can't play it.'

[richardmca]

And now that I think of it, while it's very disappointing if someone you have a high regard for turns out to be a human being when you meet them, and have human frailties, I think we have to get it into perspective. We follow an artist because he/she plays great music, don't we? He/she doesn't have to be a perfect human being as well. Most of them aren't!! And neither are we - at least, I'm not.

The moment when you meet your favourite artist is a really tricky one on both sides. It must be an enormous trial for the artist I think. You - the fan - roll up, frothing at the mouth because you're exhilharated by the music, and feeling you know the guy intimately because you sleep with his CDs under your pillow, and you want to tell him how he's enriched your life. You've had a few beers by this point in the evening too. 99 times out of a hundred you're going to say something inane, trite and possibly unintentionally insulting because you are assuming an intimacy that doesn't exist between you. I did it last year: 'That was a GREAT version of Help The Poor'. 'Yes, you can really ring the changes on that one.' 'Yes, but this was REALLY GREAT!!', etc. What a pillock I felt about 3 seconds later. The artist has to deal with dozens of people like you in a short space of time, and keep smiling. This is the kind of thing we expect politicians to do well...

I could never do it, and although I'd be sorry if RF or anyone else gave me the impression they were rebuffing my clumsy attempts to say 'thanks' for everything I've got from their wonderful music, I'd try to understand and put it in context.

On the rare occasion someone comes up to me in a pub and says something he thinks is clever like 'Yeah, I hear Robben Ford in your playing...', it's as much as I can do to restrain myself from launching into a rant about every ****ing jazz sax player I've listened to and absorbed ideas from since I was five years old, decades before I even heard of RF. But I'd get my face punched, so I DO restrain myself!
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'Think of a note, then don't play it' - Miles Davis on the art of improvisation. Or, as adapted for my own use: 'Think of a note, then realise you can't play it.'

[Mickey]

Although I am a fairly regular visitor to this forum, I hadn't got around to registering until now. Having been to Poole last night to see two of my favourite players and biggest influences of all time, I have to agree with richardmca, in that I found the gig disappointing. I was sitting fairly centrally about half way back in the main hall, and, as soon as the band started, it was clear that the sound wasn't right. After an apparent initial problem with LC's amp was sorted out, the two guitars continued to sound very indistinct, almost as if each had too much delay added to the guitar signal, so that they blended too much with the natural reverb of the concert hall. The bass was mushy and also indistinct, and I found it impossible to really hear what the guy was playing, particularly on his bottom strings. I agree that Canonball Shuffle was better, and LC's solo spot was superb, but overall the quality I was expecting was sadly masked. I was also disappointed that the set was unexpectedly short, though this also happened last time I saw Larry Carlton, admittedly a few years ago, at the Royal Festival hall in London. I've been fortunate enough to see Robben play a couple of times before in the last few years, once at the Jazz Cafe, when again his guitar sound definitely suffered from too much delay, (I remember reading other similar comments on this forum about that gig), and once at the Brook in Southampton, when he sounded absolutely superb.

I did buy the Live in Tokyo CD after the show, and my enthusiasm for Robben's and Larry's playing will of course remain. It was a privilege to see them share the same stage, but I couldn't help feeling let down as I drove home last night. The sound problems may well, of course, have been beyond the band's control, but as the Poole concert was probably a warm-up for the two to follow at the Jazz Cafe, it'll be interesting to read any comments about those gigs.

[burger.ie]

I travelled from Dublin to see my two favourite guitar players play live together. When I took my seat my first impression was really good. Nice venue, large stage, really good view.
Unfortunately I must agree with the guys, the sound was awful.
From where I sat Larry came across clear and bright but Robben and Travis were hard to hear. It did get better as the show went on.
All the playing was fantastic as you`d expect. It`s just a pity about the sound quality.
I too got to meet both my heroes after the gig and found them both freindly and happy to sign autographs. Despite the sound problems I had a ball and left grinning like a cheshire cat.

[Jon07]

I was right in the centre of the front row - Larry's amp was pretty much in front of me whilst Robben's were angled off to the left & the sound wasn't great, although being that close it wasn't too muddy.

I must say I felt slightly disappointed by the gig. You couldn't really fault the playing but there was no real feeling of excitement at any point - I feel the same about the live album as well though - great playing but it all feels a bit too restrained. Perhaps more 'question & answer' guitar soloing would have made for a bit more energy - I would have loved to see them just set up an unrehearsed groove and just jam with a bit of energy and fire. Still, that's the nature of live music.

[Cheebatone]

[jconstant]

[bluesman]

Well, I really restrained myself for weeks not to talk about the UK gigs. I was in Poole once – 11th, (totally agree with guys here) and twice at the jazz café in London where concerts were OK.
Both played well, especially Robben. His sound was very good .
He was using The Twin and Super, plus Zendrive and it was sounding ten times more Dumbleish then Larry’s Dumble !!! Sakashta guitar was wonderful in every way.
I was standing in the middle of the second row closer to Larry. His amp was sitting on the top of the 1X12 cab and the microphone was positioned exactly in the centre of the speaker ! and his sound was still dark and dry on stage and in the PA.
The drummer and the bassist played well especially when Robben started to sing some new songs from his new album - uplifting rocky numbers.
The non smoking law really helped artist’s performance but flashing photographers badly annoyed Robben who was double suffering with laryngitis and sharp projector light. I also missed Daveds kind of Zen presence near stage and hope Robben did to, especially in the middle of the gig, when Les Paul went out of tune and young technician struggled about twelve minutes to tune it up again.
As I’ve mentioned concerts were good but not fantastic. Probably I’ve expected to much – double pleasure from two of my favourite players together.