The Velvet Forum

Patti Smith was MIND BLOWING!! The first time she has ever done 'Horses' in one show from start to finish! It was a fantastic evening she came on in dressed as per Horses cover and the band was AMAZING. The sound was perfect and considering it was the first time they had ever done this album live it was sublime. She still has a great voice and hit all the right notes was also very chatty. As a performer she has some much presence and ad libs brilliantly to the situation. Gloria of course was the highlight but free money, kimberley and horses was just breathtaking. Flea stood in for some bass duties which he did with unusual understatement but class. The encore was Three, Piss Factory and My Generation. I was totally blown away by Pattis PASSION for the music and lyrics she really made for a very special night. It could have been 1975!

John Cale supporting was challenging and interesting. Very young band, Flea playing all bass parts and going mental. Cale playing virtually all keyboard (sitting on flight case) 1 last song on guitar. Fear was great Cale went mental on keys very loud and avant garde version. No Velvets songs : ( Last song was extremely loud Velvets-esque rock work out with him on garage guitar style (v Lou) interesting)..

didn't happen to tape it didja?

Nope sorry I didn't..There was a camera crew there so I bet it will surface on a DVD.

Yeah it was a very good concert and Patti and the band did a great job of reproducing the Horses album. Also great support set from John Cale, he played for about an hour so it was like getting 2 full gigs in one night!

My only real reservation was that when Patti played 'My Generation' as the encore, why the hell did she have frickin Flea on bass?? The bass should clearly have been John Cale who plays it on the Horses album, and since he was there in the venue that night it seems so wasteful not to have used him, I love that crazy bass solo he takes on the record version!

Yeah that surprised me as well, but Flea did an excellent job.

What was funny during My Generation was Jay the drummer pushed the drums over, fell over them and got stuck. I thought he was going to go over and fall off the riser..He couldn't move..We thought this was very funny!

Flea has been playing all over the place! Within the last few years he has played with:

Johnny Cash
Jewel
Gov't Mule
UK Subs
Tricky
X
Alanis Morrisette
Mars Volta
Porno for Pyros

Hell...he's even played for Bones-Thugs-N-Harmony!

He definitely has the chops.

Flea is a worthy musician. He's been involved in punk rock and jazz since he was in highschool and I wouldn't have any complaints about him playing instead of Cale. He has a more eclectic taste than most popular musicians nowadays and he knows that he when plays with other people, he's not the star but just part of the band.

I agree completely with Cameo Role, Flea was great on Sat he was a great band member and rarely took centre stage. Anyway Cale went AWOL when Patti wanted him on stage..

Oh well it looks like its just me who thinks the Chilli Peppers are a bunch of bass-heavy over-the-top half-naked good-for-nothing populist garbage hooligans. (Not trying to spark an argument about this as I realise I am completely outnumbered )

I'm interested in this statement of bleach:

bleach wrote: Anyway Cale went AWOL when Patti wanted him on stage..

Does that mean Cale was meant to do 'My Generation' but disappeared? How do you know that bleach??

Oh the Chilli Peppers suck, I don't deny that.