Venue:
Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Date: 23/02/2018
Dweezil is not Frank. I had to keep reminding my self of this, somewhat unnecessarily, as Dweezil and his hot little combo trawled through the FZ songbook, choosing some old favourites and some more obscure songs, and inevitably leaving out stuff I’d love to hear. A show billing itself as “50 Years Of Frank Zappa” with nothing from Hot Rats or Ruben and The Jets? But there was plenty to like, from the opening Zomby Woof to the last encore Florentine Pogen. Dweezil whipped it out on Watermelon In Easter Hay, Inca Roads was immaculate and it was delightful to hear Let Me Take You To The Beach from Studio Tan, the only nod to doo-wop in the whole show.
The band, as I said, are exceptional. Basically a six piece with guest Australian trumpeter/vocalist Kendal Cuneo, whose cameo I’m So Cute brought the house down. Two other women up front, Scheila Gonzalez on vocals, keyboards and flute and saxophone, and vocalist Cian Coey, both fantastic. The sound mix from where I was sitting (front row of the balcony) was such that I could hardly hear keyboard player Chris Newton, even on keyboard-prominent songs like Sofa. Bassist Kurt Morgan’s sound was muddy and buried in the mix, which was overwhelmed by Ryan Brown’s drums. This guy is what musicians would call a monster, he’s all over the place, in the Terry Bozzio mode of favoured Zappa drummers, and the sound mixer obviously liked him or was related to him as all I heard most of the night was snare drum and toms, lots, on every song. I longed for a simple rock’n roll groove a la Jimmy Carl Black.
And yeah, Dweezil. He’s an excellent guitarist, and he plays all the little quick ones and more, and you’ve got to admire him for taking his Dad’s wonderful music on the road, despite the well chronicled family hassles. As a soloist – well, he’s not Frank. Sometimes I thought I could be listening to any 80s American rock band, which of course is the music that Dweezil grew up listening to on the radio.
The audience:
I’ve never seen so many grey ponytails in one place in my life. As we queued up for a wee at half-time a woman came out of the Ladies and said in a delighted voice “how nice to see the line for the Gents is longer for once”. Most of the people around me knew every word of the songs, even more than me.
It made me think..
It’s not very often you can hear a three hour concert of music by one of the great American 20th century composers
Here’s a much more comprehensive and better written review of the Auckland NZ show a few days earlier by veteran Kiwi music critic (and Zappa tragic) Gary Steel
https://witchdoctor.co.nz/index.php/2018/02/son-of-shut-up-and-player-your-guitar/
I gave you an Up for “The Audience” section alone!
3 comments
1 was your show at the Enmore ?
2 the NZ review notes Dweezil only a few years younger than when Frank died.
3 the kiwi review describes Overnight Sensation as porno funk is that even a genre ?
A(nother) pedant rites – Those aren’t comments. There’s 2 questions in there. And at least one has already been answered (it was the Enmore).
I was seriously tempted, but only from having heard Dweezil (and Moon) on WTF and thought it might be interesting. The problem is I’ve never knowingly heard any Zappa material (how’d that happen and I’m still allowed in here?). Now I’m just bummed I didn’t go.
It was a big night is Sydney too. Stiff Little Fingers were at the Metro which was even more tempting. Didn’t go there either. But I will be off to see BMRC at the Enmore in March, and with Mrs H and number 1 son to see Squeeze at the Metro in April. Haven’t made my mind up about Jason Isbell – he was fantastic last year at the Enmore, but not so thrilled with the latest album…
err just noticed the heading *shakes head in embarassment*
I knew you’d review it Mousey, so I didn’t have to, and I know Mojo is going to the Perth show, but he ain’t here. I was at the Auckland show – as Gary Steel said, the first show of the tour, but none the worse for that. The audience was lively and enthusiastic. The sound was actually damn good considering the often complex nature of the music. Personally I thought Ryan’s drumming was a highlight. He’s actually more Vinnie Colaiuta than Terry Bozzio. He got Keep It Greasy (one of the more complicated drum charts) spot on. Scheila Gonzalez captures the spirit of FZ to the fullest and her sax playing brings that special spice to things like Cleetus…(from The Grand Wazoo). I also really appreciated the early Mother’s material they did. How can you not be smiling when they play Call Any Vegetable or Flower Punk?
I spoke to one of Auckland’s top guitarists, Nigel Gavin, in the break and he observed that Dweezil is, in fact, a much better guitarist than his dad, to which I would add that since I saw ZPZ about 4 years ago, Dweezil has worked a lot more of Frank’s style into his own playing. His soloing was fantastic at times and the audience in NZ gave him several standing ovations. As the man says, this music needs to be kept alive. DZ is a very sympathetic and capable caretaker of the legacy. Great stuff
that’s an interesting comment Nick. I guess it comes down to how one defines “better guitarist”.
Technically better, he meant. Stylistically, FZ being self taught, is unique. Dweezil has worked hard to understand and incorporate Frank’s technique into his own playing, while also adding the influence of Steve Vai and others
Always find it difficult to say that someone who has devoted their life to mimicking and copying the style of a predecessor is “better”. But I’m no guitarist so what do I know.
Excellent comments @nickduvet, although we’ll have to agree to disagree about Dweezil’s guitaring. Of course it’s great he’s keeping the music going, and I’m not one to diss another musician’s style, especially one as supremely competent as Dweezil. I guess I just miss Frank (sniffs…)
And yeah, I LOVED hearing Call Any Vegetable etc from the early MOV albums.
Re the drummer – you’d know better than me about specifics, all I meant was he was in the spectacular orbit a la Terry and Vinnie rather than the lovely old plodder mode like JCB. And Chad could do both, which was why Frank used him longer than any of the others. I was privileged to play a gig with Chad once (in Sydney in 2003 for a 10th-anniversary-since-FZ-passed event). and he was very charitable towards our attempts to play the music, and a thoroughly pleasant chap to boot.