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It had been with great anticipation that I was awaiting
TFK's U.S. tour in support of Paradox Hotel. I planned on
being able to see them either in Whittier, CA or Denver, CO;
however, personal matters will prevent me from attending.
Fortunately, TFK released this 2-disc concert DVD of their
April 19, 2006 show in Tilburg, Holland. It's not as fun as
going to a live performance but for those of us who cannot
get to a show, as they say, this is the next best thing.***
First, I have to say that it is a trip to think about
a Swedish band singing and speaking in English to a Dutch
audience! It all works, though. One thing the viewer may notice
is that the crowd is quite a bit larger than the audiences
I think TFK plays for here in the U.S. This is something I
observed, too, in a Transatlantic concert DVD I own. I suspect
that Prog lovers in the U.S. owe a debt of gratitude to European
fans for making Prog, at least somewhat, commercially viable
for these players.***
In terms of presenting a spectacle, TFK is not Peter
Gabriel, but they deliver the goods musically. For the most
part, this is pure concert footage, nothing flashy, with a
few psychedelic effects thrown in. The band is extremely tight.
The lighting and camera work is good and the songs and sound
are exceptional.***
The real treat here is the new material from Paradox
Hotel. The PH songs absolutely come alive and sparkle in this
setting. TFK's previous effort, Adam and Eve, had its moments,
but Paradox Hotel is just better. More often than not, when
a band has been around as long as TFK, it will run out of
inspiration. Fans go to shows to hear the older stuff and
the new songs are just something you have to endure. Not so
with TFK. Music from Paradox Hotel stands up on its own quite
nicely and complements the older material.***
The band seems rejuvenated and happy again working as
a complete unit after the Daniel Gildenlow experiment and
subsequent blow up. Personally, I still miss Zoltan's drum
work (the guy was a master of his art), but Marcus does fine
here.*** A pleasant surprise is the choice of A King's Prayer,
a personal favorite. I have never heard them play this song
live. It is a knockout. It is also cool how they tacked on
the familiar refrain of Hey Jude at the end. (Just about as
cool as the Abbey Road stuff on the previously mentioned Transatlantic
DVD!)*** The performance ends with the familiar, unsurpassed
beauty and majesty of Stardust We Are.***
Fans of TFK will absolutely love this. This is a much
better and more fulfilling production than 2003's Meet The
Flower Kings. There is something for everyone. The new stuff
is prominently featured and works extremely well. There is
some tasty improvisation and enough older and more familiar
pieces to make longtime fans feel at home. The most comforting
thing is that this is not a band that has seen its better
days and is relying on past glories. This is a band that is
vibrant and still capable of creating magic.***
These guys are amazing as is their abundant catalog of
music. It is easy to take TFK for granted, but nothing lasts
forever. Fortunately, we will always have their recordings
and these images to help us remember.
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