Mellotronists

I'm curious as to when each of you saw a Mellotron on stage with a 
band playing live for the first time. As for myself--I never 
saw 'Crimson, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Barclay James Harvest, Sebastian 
Hardie in those early days live. I do remember my dad taking me to 
Strawbs and Earth & Fire in the early 1970's, but I wasn't paying 
attention. Bands like Amon Duul and Wind were touring in Germany when 
I was there, but I never saw them live either. I never saw KC until 
the Thrak tour--no 'tron in sight & I actually would have been 
surprised if there was.

I guess the first ones I saw in concert were around ten years ago 
with Sky Cries Mary, Built To Spill and Halo Benders.

On Tue, 12 Aug 2003, mellotrongirl wrote:

> I'm curious as to when each of you saw a Mellotron on stage with a 
> band playing live for the first time. As for myself--I never 
> saw 'Crimson, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Barclay James Harvest, Sebastian 
> Hardie in those early days live. I do remember my dad taking me to 
> Strawbs and Earth & Fire in the early 1970's, but I wasn't paying 
> attention. Bands like Amon Duul and Wind were touring in Germany when 
> I was there, but I never saw them live either. I never saw KC until 
> the Thrak tour--no 'tron in sight & I actually would have been 
> surprised if there was.


tangerine dream - first US tour 1977 - tower theatre
upper darby pa [just outside of philadelphia]
front row centre balcony
this was the tour wih the laserium light show
it was amazing, though i had no idea what a mellotron
really was until a couple years later

...jeff

> I guess the first ones I saw in concert were around ten years ago 
> with Sky Cries Mary, Built To Spill and Halo Benders.
> 
> 
> 
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> 
>  
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
> 
>

1974, Boston Garden, Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans tour.  
Incredible setlist, as I recall: Close to the Edge, all 4 sides of 
TFTO and encore (Roundabout, I assume... heard it too many times to 
remember).

-Jamie

Twas the late summer of 1999:

The British bands Gomez and The Charlatans at the Aberdeen Music Hall.

They both played gigs within a few days of each other, although I saw 
Gomez first saw and heard the sound of the tron 'cello's' it wasn't 
until the Charlatans gig a few nights later that I got to hear a MK 
IV in full flight... The 3 violins sounded fuxxing amazing!!

Philip

For me it was Genesis(Watchers) at the Roxy in L.A., then the Strawbs at the
Santa Monica Civic and Barclay James at the Troubadour. Do any of you
remember Ken Elliot? (Second Hand, 7th wave) I saw and met them at the
Starwood on the Sci Fi tour, talk about keyboards and great shows of
yesteryears I am still stuck the seventies!

Rene'





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jamierob54" <jamie@...>
To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 11:49 AM
Subject: [Mellotronists] Re: First time you ever saw a live band use a
Mellotron

> 1974, Boston Garden, Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans tour.
> Incredible setlist, as I recall: Close to the Edge, all 4 sides of
> TFTO and encore (Roundabout, I assume... heard it too many times to
> remember).
>
> -Jamie
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

-----Original Message-----

From: mellotrongirl [mailto:mellotrongirl@...]
Sent: 12 August 2003 18:54
To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Mellotronists] First time you ever saw a live band use a
Mellotron


I'm curious as to when each of you saw a Mellotron on stage with a
band playing live for the first time. As for myself--I never
saw 'Crimson, Genesis, Pink Floyd,


I'm certain the Floyd never used theirs live.

As for me, I would imagine it was Magnum at Reading Festival, 1980, followed
by Limelight the year after, then various UK neo-prog outfits. Not as cool
as Genesis, Yes et al., but my age and (then) taste worked against me. I'm
pretty sure it was Limelight that triggered the obsession, though, leading
up to my purchase in '85. See my review at:

http://freespace.virgin.net/andy.thompson/reviewsl.htm#limelight

Andy T.
M400 #1145

'The Ultimate Mellotron Recordings List (Possibly)'

http://freespace.virgin.net/andy.thompson/


n.p. Embryo - 'Embryo's Rache'.

mellotrongirl wrote:

> I'm curious as to when each of you saw a Mellotron on stage with a
> band playing live for the first time.

_________________________________________________________________

Greetings All,    In my former state of NJ, that's "Joisey",
I saw a local band called "Leviathan" use an M400 live.
in the summer of 1972 .  That sowed the seeds of my
Troniac mania a few notches higher than ever before.

Late in 1972, I saw the Moodies at Madison Square
Garden during their "Seventh Sojourn" tour. Pinder's
lengthened 15-minute version of  "The Voyage"
brought me "close to the edge." And shortly thereafter,
YES's LP with same title sent me "over the edge",
determined to get a Mellotron. And so I did in July-1973.

30 years on, I never once regretted that pathway in my life.
Cheers, Jerry K. in rainy,damp,soggy,froggy New England

Now that is amazing! Makes me yearn for that Wake of Poseidon Tron...
Frank, you still have to come up and see/play #340... 
 
Or come up to Martini Blues in Huntington Beach on Friday or the
Renaissance in Dana Point on Saturday to see me play. I will be
performing with Raging Sun.. (sorry, no Mellotron, just my trusty
CX3)...

-----Original Message-----
From: MAinPsych@... [mailto:MAinPsych@...] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 9:27 PM
To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] First time you ever saw a live band use a
Mellotron


I remember the first time very distinctly and still get goose bumps on
my my arms when I think about it: November 1968, the day before
Thanksgiving, Grossmont College gym in San Diego, The Moody Blues...and
to think that my MkII (#134) is very likely the very same one I saw and
heard that night (still trying to verify through Mike Pinder).

Frank Samagaio
MkII #134 / M400 #908 

Yahoo! Groups Sponsor	

ADVERTISEMENT
 
<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=259538.3705203.4965331.1261774/D=egroupweb/S=1707
709858:HM/A=1712983/R=0/SIG=11u38u3s2/*http://hits.411web.com/cgi-bin/hi
t?page=1374-105951838331032> click here	
 
<http://us.adserver.yahoo.com/l?M=259538.3705203.4965331.1261774/D=egrou
pmail/S=:HM/A=1712983/rand=951589806> 	

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .

I think I saw the Moodies on the same tour; October 1968 at the 
Bushnell Memorial in Hartford, Connecticut. Also the first time I saw 
a Mellotron.

Bernie

--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, MAinPsych@a... wrote:
> I remember the first time very distinctly and still get goose bumps 
on my my 
> arms when I think about it: November 1968, the day before 
Thanksgiving, 
> Grossmont College gym in San Diego, The Moody Blues...and to think 
that my MkII 
> (#134) is very likely the very same one I saw and heard that night 
(still trying 

> to verify through Mike Pinder).
> 
> Frank Samagaio
> MkII #134 / M400 #908

Yes - Tales - Hersheypark Arena, Hershey - 3/1/1974 

--- mellotrongirl <mellotrongirl@...> wrote:
> I'm curious as to when each of you saw a Mellotron
> on stage with a 
> band playing live for the first time. As for
> myself--I never 
> saw 'Crimson, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Barclay James
> Harvest, Sebastian 
> Hardie in those early days live. I do remember my
> dad taking me to 
> Strawbs and Earth & Fire in the early 1970's, but I
> wasn't paying 
> attention. Bands like Amon Duul and Wind were
> touring in Germany when 
> I was there, but I never saw them live either. I
> never saw KC until 
> the Thrak tour--no 'tron in sight & I actually would
> have been 
> surprised if there was.
> 
> I guess the first ones I saw in concert were around
> ten years ago 
> with Sky Cries Mary, Built To Spill and Halo
> Benders.
> 
> 


__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com

First time for me was the summer of '72, the year after my first surgery. It was during the peak of Grouchy Monkey's popularity here in central New Jersey. The set included their minor hits,"Solid Waste Love Soap", "Fits almost like a woolen mitten" and the 20 minute epic, "Softgland"

fritz

<<I'm curious as to when each of you saw a Mellotron on stage with a band 
playing live for the first time.>>

possibly hackett/hackett/magnus/shearer in late '79, though I recall nick 
saying (on this list) that he wasn't using the 'tron that tour. then similarly TD 
in 1980- edgar's mk5 may still have been in the setup then, though clearly 
(from their recorded output) falling from favour. failing either of those, my 
own 400 in 1995, in the monarch in london. no-one really noticed it until we 
were finished making our ambient racket, and then suddenly it had a crowd round 
it. although it's semi-retired from live work (for logistical reasons- it's 
always behaved well on stage), when we do take it out, the crowd still forms. 
reassuring, if a little weird- I looked up from a between-sets frame change to 
find myself the subject of several amateur documentary makers w/ camcorders.

>>Or, Hawkwind Feb 72 would have been first, if they used tron on tour, same 
venue. Can't say I remember much about that one musically, but being 15 years 
old I was pretty well entertained by Stacia the dancer! <<

bit early for hawkwind to have been using one- I think it appeared first on 
"hall of tmg" which was early 74, i.e. it arrived w/ simon house. where's that 
one now, I wonder? house himself has appeared with the 'wind recently....

so I actually may never have seen a band using one on stage when I wasn't 
playing the same gig myself.
how odd.

duncan/1098 ("why don't you take me out anymore? are you ashamed of me?" 
"shut up and cook my supper!")

Hmmm.....

Well, first time for me was at the Long Beach Arena '72 when the 
'Moodies' where on tour, and Mike Pinder brought along the M-II.
As I can recall, the outside of the wood case was a bit beat up from 
traveling around the world, and I think it was either Mike or Grahame 
that said the following words that have stuck with me ever since--

"It's out last night (of the tour) tonight (And), we're going home 
tomorrow....."

(Smattering of applause...)

"So,-uhm---yeah.....We've been having a nice trip for years! :D"

(Now much larger applause)

The second time was not seeing a 'Tron but a Chamberlin (I think it was 
one of the Chamberlin M1 or a M2) at of all things an open air concert 
at Golden West College where I was going to in the 70's, and the band 
was called 'Gazelle'. Had a nice sound to the group too. :)

The second time that I saw a 'Tron on stage was a M400, the time was the 
late '70s, the place the Anaheim Convention Center, and the person doing 
the playing was Rick Wakeman. I think that was after the release of the 
'King Arthur' Album....good playing of the 'Tron there too as I recall. :)

That's my 0.02 cents worth....

R.L.

-----Original Message-----
From: Mattias Olsson [mailto:mattias.olsson5@...]
Sent: 13 August 2003 08:32
To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] First time you ever saw a live band use a Mellotron

Sorry about this but the first time I saw a Liveband use a Mellotron was with my own band Änglagård...Thomas was standing on my right.

Does that count...?

// Mattias

Mattias - you're just showing off. :-)

Andy T.

Boy, the old farts are coming out of the woodwork on this one!

I saw the Moody Blues in 1970 at the Fillmore East (Lee Michaels who 
opened had the loudest B3 set-up ever created!), but I had an earlier 
chance to hear a mellotron live which was King Crimson. I'd never heard 
of them and so when I was offered a chance to review the concert for 
the NYU student newspaper, I decided I had too much homework, 
practicing, etc. and took a pass. I've been kicking myself ever since 
(except the DGM kindly put the concert I missed on a CD a few years 
back). Crimson got me started, the Moodies laid the foundation and 
Genesis (Foxtrot tour) put the final nail in the coffin. I bought a 400 
from Mellotronics in 1973 and got my present instrument in 1974. All 
the bands I played that in were after me to buy a Solina instead. 
Funny, they didn't complain about the B3 as much...

Many years later, I met Martin Smith and I was instantly cured. He has 
that effect on a lot of people, I suspect.

Rick (SFX 10030 -- you mean you've actually owned me for 29 years?!)

1974 Yes' "Tales" tour.  Miami Baseball Stadium.  Way too far away to see or
hear anything.
    Phil
"If you're not nervous, you ain't paying attention."
                                         Miles Davis

-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Tortorici [mailto:wy-mar-ren@...]
Sent: 14 August 2003 03:34
To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] First time you ever saw a live band use a Mellotron

Sorry about this but the first time I saw a Liveband use a Mellotron was with my own band Änglagård...Thomas was standing on my right.

Does that count...?

// Mattias

++That wasn't supposed to work that way. Anyway, what I tried to say was that there are three big, and one somewhat big Anglagard fans here in my part of South Florida. Thanks.

Phil

Well, this won't be much consolation to those of you in the States, but Änglagård are playing two dates in Europe later this month. I was going to try to get to both, but the festival near Bordeaux is simply too far, but I'll be attending their appearance at the Spirit of 66, Verviers, Belgium, with my M400, so presumably Anna and Thomas will have one each. Be there or, er, be somewhere else!

Andy T.

M400 #1145

'The Ultimate Mellotron Recordings List (Possibly)'

http://freespace.virgin.net/andy.thompson/

Evening all,

I've NEVER seen a live band use a Mellotron... until I went on stage with #1380 in 1987 (I think). The sound guy wasn't amused at all - comment something like "They sounded shit in 1973 and haven't improved much..." True to form, we did sound shit.

Guess I was born too late (first proper gig was Rick Wakeman 24/09/1980, Sheffield City Hall... with his BIROTRON!)

Best,

Paul Marshall

M400 #1380