LIVE!

The Belgian band PRESENT formed by guitarist and composer Roger Trigaux (ex. UNIVERS ZERO) is in free flight on this live album recorded in December 9th, 1995 at the "AKW" in Würzburg, Germany. The band has had a few line-up changes and on this recording you'll also find Réginald Trigaux on guitar and keyboards, bass player Bruno Bernas and the magnificent drummer Dave Kerman. The music of PRESENT is dark and in the same musical territory as ART ZOYD, Dr. NERVE, MAGMA, KING CRIMSON and UNIVERS ZERO. Although the album has a lot of nice dual guitar/bass and lengthy compositions, it is however less complex and intricate than many other PRESENT releases. Still the music is very intricate and I don't think that a PRESENT album will ever disappoint me.

I have seen Present twice around that time ( only fifty people in attendence) and once with HOYRY KONE opening up for them - what a bill that was. Seeing them live gives a new life on some of these numbers but I wish more numbers were Present ( toooooo easy , I know but it had to be done at least once ) on this album . The line- up is totally different than in the 80's , now comprises his son on rythm guitar and Dave Kerman from 5UU and U TOTEM. On one occasion they played this stuff with another drummer . Pierre Narcisse (an acquaintaince of mine) and Daniel Denis was droping by and Promenade Au Fond D'un Canal with two drums was something else. This is the sort of epilogue to Present 's first era as their music will now change and evolve in a surprising manner.

WARNING ! Playing this album while trying to get laid can only lead to failureof both the laying and the listening.

Live versions of their earlier material.

I am a fan of the first three Present albums. Material they have played live & recorded for this album.

Present's three first albums was very gloomy and horror movies influenced. Some of their music reminds me a lot about what the zeuhl band Shub Niggurath did.

Present live is a lot more minimalistic than they are in the studio. Where Promenade au Fond d'un Canal is big in studio, it has lost something in the translation to the scene. Mostly in intensity and gloom. The dissonant guitars is not that much dissonant live. Also sound wise, something is missing here.

Despite of the translation errors from studio to a live setting; this live album is still a very good live album. It very much gives a good picture of what Present was back in the mid 1990s. But I prefer their studio albums instead of this live album, I have to admit.

Still.......

3.5 stars

One of my favorite RIO live albums... Not one of the best but definetively one that I really appreciate because it stands like the end of Present first era and inside the four long tracks of this album you can find the most "classic" Present sound from hard and raw sections leaded by Roger and Réginald Trigaux guitars on "Laundry Blues" and "Alone" to the most intricate and complex musical sequences on "Promenade au Fond d'un Canal"...

Vocals are really scary most of the time but even floating and harmonic. Bruno Bernas bass sounds like a magnificient thunder during several minutes before turns into a melodic and slight ambient element on "Contre" and "Alone". All of this surronded by 5 UU'S Dave Kerman's complex drums filling the structures of Roger Trigaux mind blowing compositions.

Not less than 4* for this great piece of live album. It's a very partial opinion but I had to honor the insane effects that Roger Trigaux and Present music had on me...