Van der Graaf "Cat's Eye" Promo Vid Unearthed!!

It's Van der Graaf from 1977, the five piece lineup (after Hugh and Jaxon split) featuring Peter Hammill (guitar, vox), Guy Evans (drums), Nic Potter (returning member on bass), Graham Smith (violin), and Chas Dickie (cello). They're miming to Cat's Eye, a single in France and one of the tunes off of the great Quiet Zone album. In an article on VdGG from Mojo magazine in '02, bassist Nic Potter (R.I.P.) was quoted as saying that he remembered doing a TV show with Peter larking about in a "plastic mac." While writing The Book (with Phil Smart), I asked Peter and Guy if they remembered anything about this. They didn't (and probably still don't even after seeing the vid!). But I talked to Nic about it, I asked him what a "plastic mac" was. He said it was like a see-through rain coat and he did still have vague recollections of the TV appearance from decades ago. Honestly, I thought he might have been mis-remembering a TV show that never actually happened, etc. But, this video unearthed by Herman proves that Nic was right! Coincidentally, I've been listening a lot to VdG's swan song, the double live '78 album Vital (featuring this exact lineup) quite a bit lately and have reaffirmed my thoughts on what a KILLER, take-no-prisoners lineup this was (and what a brilliant, like-no-other-band-on-the-planet group VdG were).

Thanks again Herman! Awesome, awesome stuff!!